North Academia
by Kirei Ryuusei
Summary: Johan enters North Academia along with his sister, Jazzlyn but when strangeness begins to surface at the school,they must investigate & put a stop to the abnormalities at this duel school! Apart of the Academia series!
1. Briefing: North Academia!

_Kirei: Yay, so I'm finally starting North Academia! A big thanks to the people that submitted OC Profiles to me, It's a big help. *bows* Thank you_

_Johan: Yeah, thanks to you I have roommates and friends._

_Kirei: Do the disclaimer._

_Johan: Kirei does not own Yu-gi-oh GX, if she did, she would've had me and Judai together already._

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

**(Johan's POV)**

I sat in a room designed much like a board meeting room. There was a long table made of teak and even the desk chairs with the tall backrests. I sat on the end of the table, my green eyes examining a round metallic device in the middle of the table. Glancing upward, my eyes trailed to a figure that almost mirror me except had their hair unspiked and cleavage.

That would be my sister, Jazzlyn. She and I are twins born on April 23rd. If it weren't obvious we're identical fraternal twins, with me being older by 3 minutes. And like most twins, our appearance are similar however our personalities are just like night and day. One could find quickly that I was the calmer of the two however probably the naïve of the two of us. Currently, Jazz stared boredly at the same device I watched.

Suddenly a light emitted from the center of the item, creating a projection of a man. His eyes were the color of coals and salt-and-peppered locks done in a professional coiffure with his mustache matching. Immediately I felt myself straighten in his presence. The man greeted. "It's nice to see you both again young Andersens. First and foremost, congratulations on your admission into North Academia, I'm sure your parents would've been proud."

Jazz and I remained silent, waiting for the clean-cut male to continue. "as you well know, you're our youngest agents and one of the most eligible for the long term mission that you've been assigned."

The projector switched to holographic version of different buildings. "North Academia along with it's sister schools are renowned for their education in dueling. However strange incidents have occurred within the schools."

Virtual articles and pictures appeared across the air. With each incident mentioned an article enlarged displaying it's contents. "Strange hieroglyphic markings in West, assaults by unseen attackers in South, bizarre animals and weather in the East, a whole dorm's residents gone in Duel Academia, and your problems are the student sickness and disappearances."

"That isn't gonna be a problem for us, sir." my sister spoke as the screen returned to the man debriefing us. "Anything North Academia's got to throw at us, we'll be able to conquer it no sweat."

A chuckle came from the superior that was addressing us. "You are your parents' child…Anyway, we will provide you with facilities for your work. I wish you both luck."

Simultaneously, Jazz and I replied. "Thank you, sir."

With that, the screen fizzled off and I could finally breath a sigh. The conversation we just had should've made it apparent, I'm not an ordinary teenager. I work for this international organization called Echo, whose mission is to regulate supernatural, unnatural, and extraterrestrial activity across the globe. As an agent of Echo, my title is a paranormal anomaly detective, or PAD for short. In some aspects, me and other employees are above authorities since some crimes and such are really the work of 'legends or myths'. Above that we're so secretive, no one knows of our works. It sucks not to get the glory but at least it pays way better than a typical after school job.

I headed for the exit to the room, only for the door to whoosh open and a lady to stand before me. She was beautiful with a body like a supermodel's. Her purple locks were like threads of silk that framed her doll-like face. Her eyes shifting between a brown and green shade. A slightly Russian accented voice said. "Johan, I was about to go get you two. We've landed."

Yes, you heard right, _landed_. The conference room I received my mission from was moving, apart of a hovercraft that was designed much like a penthouse apartment. This was how many PAD got to their destinations, internationally and interglaclatically. The airships are named GHOST, an acronym for Getaway Hovercraft for Overseas and Space Travel.

"Coming." I told her. Together, I walked with a suitcase rolling along the ground with my twin trailing behind. That is where we entered an lounge area that was probably one of the only areas in the vicinity that didn't resemble scenery often described in sci-fi novels. There was a man leaning against a suede red sofa. He was way taller than me and his muscles also displayed that I wasn't stronger than me. His brown-skinned arms were crossed, his eyes unreadable since a pair of sunglasses concealed them. "Have you packed everything?"

"Yes, Dev."

He questioned. "And all your weapons stripped off?"

Green spheres met mine. We forgot to do that. My hands went towards miscellaneous parts of my clothes. Shirt, inner holsters on my pants, socks, and shoes. I didn't keep too many weapons on me, only various guns. However, just that alone could get me expelled. I glanced over where I saw multiple weapons placed onto the sofa. Just like our personalities, our preference of weapons differed.

When we finished emptying our inventory nods from both me and Jazz answered his question. Suddenly arms wrapped us as the woman escorting us cried. "I can't believe you're leaving us! You just grow up so fast!"

In case it weren't apparent, I'll let you know, neither of the two were related to me by blood. Their names were Leanne and Devi. They are me and Jazzlyn's legal guardians. As the man expressed as he congratulated us, we lost our parents when we were ten. However, both Leanne and Devi, loyal teammates to our parents, and our godparents at the time, continued raising us. And to me…they were an irreplaceable aspect to my strange family.

"Leanne, we're only going to school!" Jazz cried, squirming in the said woman's grip. "You act as if we're going to the next nebula!"

The embrace tightened against me and my sister. I think I was starting to lose oxygen… "S-She's right…we'll be back for missions and holidays…" Watching the sight, Devi sweat dropped. "Uh…Lea, I think you're strangling them…"

"But it'll be so lonely without you," the Russian accented female complained, "I'll only have Dev, and you know how he is."

"Thanks, honey." her husband replied, clearly sarcastic. None of us could suppress the laughter that followed.

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

The GHOST, like our jobs, couldn't be seen publicly so it had to be parked a distance from the drop-off point for the incoming and returning North Academia students. I arrived along with my family to the bus terminus built exclusively for North students' travel needs. I researched about the school I had been assigned to, both out of 'gathering Intel' and curiosity.

North Academia, like all the other duel schools, were located in the most bizarre areas. My school in particular was located within a mountainous region with stalagmite-resembling miniature snow-capped alps surrounding it. The school itself was seated on a plateau. Since it's actually erected pretty high in the mountains, it did often snow, making long-sleeves and pants bound to be the fashion of our uniforms. Buses and helicopter were only way students, staff, and parents could reach the school, a double edged sword in my head.

At the bus terminus, masses of teenagers and their caretakers milled about. Friends beckoned to each other with yells and flailing arms. Some appeared completely clueless, probably like I was, and more than likely freshmen. Groups formed with adolescences speaking in their native tongue (in North, students had to know English, German, Spanish or French to attend). All the chatter, and I understood them, perfectly, yet another perk of being a member of Echo.

I itched to duel someone. I mean c'mon, that's why we're going to this school! My head whipped about, trying to decide what group to ask. None of the language barriers existed for me which created both variety and the problem of _who_ I wanted to duel. Unfortunately, I didn't get to decide as black colored double-decker buses with bands of either red, yellow, or blue halted on the roadway. A man in a suit with a megaphone said. "All students, take buses according to their dorms. Blue for Obelisk, Yellow for Ra, and Red for Osiris."

Leanne hugged us again, and forced her spouse into the group hug before we said our final goodbyes. A slap against my back was a good-bye from my sister. "Looks like this is where we part too. I'll see ya, bro." Jazz and I had taken the exams and ended up in different dorms. I was in Obelisk, and my doppelganger was in Osiris. In reality she wasn't dumb, but we needed to keep surveillance on the 'two extremes' within the school.

A driver took my luggage and directed me towards where I was to board. I wandered with my duel disk and a small knapsack towards a blue-striped bus and started up the stairs. The bus held rows of three seats with boys and girls busy talking with their seating acquaintances. My eyes scanned for a seat on the lower level. When I found none I ascended to the upper floor. There I saw an open seat near the middle. I raced towards it. My hand reached it the same time as another person's hand.

Heterochromatic eyes met my gaze, before a creep of red formed on the face that held the blue and green spheres. I spoke first. "Uh…I'm sorry I trying to get a seat."

"There are no more besides this one and the buses are just about filled up." the person, a girl I noticed (no, not they way you're thinking!), informed. I smiled. "So I guess that one of us would be stuck without a seat, huh? How about we find out who with a duel?"

Green locks fell into her surprised face. "Right now?"

I nodded. "Winner takes the seat, while loser's stuck standing."

The student seemed to contemplate my proposal. Finally she turned to me and answered. "Alright, just don't complain when you lose."

I laughed as I activated my Duel Disk and drew my cards. My opponent doing the same. Then I realized, "I'm Johan by the way, what's your name?"

A smile came from the female. "Hajimemashite _(1)_, Johan, I'm Sakura Taylor."

"DUEL!" the whole bus chorused.

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

**(Jazzlyn's POV)**

You know…I just don't get what's up with this school hierarchy. Just because one wasn't the most knowledgeable with books, didn't mean they deserve the short-end of the stick, much less barely reputable facilities. That and…even if you _did_ have an hierarchy based off the Three Phantom Gods, anyone that's has any knowledge in it would know the Winged God-Dragon of Ra was the most powerful. I just think the Duel Academia and it's branches' creator, Seto Kaiba, was just a little full of himself by making the God card that was primarily his the top in the school.

But, no matter how much or what I thought, no one would see me as any more than an Osiris student, a near-drop out and failure. Of course, I didn't mind that since it just made me oh the more satisfied when I smear their cocky smirks with a grimace. An underdog, that's what I believed would be the Osiris dorms for these next four years.

I had an old man try and take my bag. He looked so old where the manual labor would strain him so I declined and put my own stuff into the cargo hold underneath the bus. I stepped onto the bus and noticed a few things. One, there was heating, and that alone was annoying since it was currently chilly and only get colder. Two, there were predominantly males on the bus that didn't even fill up the whole bus. Though I already knew that, and prepared to be among them. Three, the whole bus appeared haggard and unkempt. Some of the seats were ripped open for Ra's sake!

Eyes fell on me, before whispers spread. "Another one?" "Aren't we lucky?" "Nah, there are so many more in the upper levels." I sighed and went up the stairs to the second level to see it virtually deserted. That is the exception of a guy and two girls, which was surprising since most girls either passed exams or bitched to the administration to change. I waved and greeted. "Hey ya, guess we're the only girls here?"

"Hi!" both of the females returned the gesture since the guy was asleep. One was short with short black hair and blue eyes. The other was taller with white reminiscent of ivory with ebony ends accompanying them, her red eyes examining me like I was an intruder or something. Or was I just paranoid?

I took a seat across from them and the black-haired duelist introduced. "I'm Miku! Nice to meet you."

"Kyoko!" the other piped up, cheerfully. I extended my hand. "Jazzlyn, but call me Jazz or I might have to hurt you."

The bus began moving and we were on our way.

**(Third Person POV)**

The scenery began to fade from the countryside where the bus terminus resided and shifted to a rocky appearance. It was then both Jazzlyn and Johan thought the same thing:

_North Academia get ready, because the Andersen twins are gonna take you by storm!_

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

_Welcome to North Academia! I plan to have fun with it, and hopefully enjoy you all too. For all the people whose OC I'm using: Oak-chan, Luving Randomness, chrisandersenyuki, Anime Akane, Yukiko Shiroryuu, and chara-the-fire-lover, thank you once again for submitting them! And don't worry about their appearance, I will be introducing all the characters very soon!_

_Authoress' Note:_

1) Hajimemashite: 'Very nice to meet you' (for the first time)

_Flamers, stay out and everyone else, please review!_


	2. Mission 1: Roommates

_Kirei: I was excited with the chapter, I decided to write the next now._

_Johan: That and she's happy she pulled up her Spanish grade._

_Kirei: Urusai! Anyway, onto the next chapter! I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh GX or some of the OC used but I do own my plot elements!_

_**Reviewers Response:**_

_Oak-chan:_Johan: _Ooh, gimme! _Jazzlyn: _And he calls me the psychotic one? _Kirei: _I did start this earlier but I was really bummed I got absolutely no reviews and…I was re-doing it._

_Chrisandersenyuki:__ Who knows? Oh right, I do! Oh and…I'm wanting to hear this idea with a dragon…_

_Chara-the-fire-lover:_Johan: _Why do I get the warning? Jazz is the one that does the reckless stuff _Jazzlyn: _Re-read Family Business and you'll know. Hey! I'm not the only one! So don't blame it all on me!_

_Yukiko Shiroryuu: _Kirei: _Oof! *falls from sudden glomp* I'm glad that I could make you happy._

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

**(Johan's POV)**

(A/N: Sorry, I gotta skip this duel, I'm still getting the decks together! I swear by the end of this I'll let all the OC have their own duel!)

"Go, Insect Overload! Attack her Shining Dragon, Royal Infestation!" I called my final move. My humanoid monster snarled before it's hand formed a fist with swarms surrounding it. Once it made contact, Sakura sunk to her knees as her life points dropped.

**Johan: 200/Sakura: 0**

The Scadanavian student walked over to his opponent. His hands extended to the green-haired duelist in a peaceful gesture. He commented. "I better watch out or you'll burn me one of these days Miss Taylor."

A flush of red crept onto dragon deck user's face. She quietly informed. "Y-You don't have to be so formal with me. You can call me Sakura as long as I can call you Johan."

"Deal." A grin beamed onto the teenager's face as he helped his opponent to her feet. "But you can have the seat."

"Attention students, we have arrived at North Academia."

Both of the duelist jaw dropped. They dueled the whole trip? That meant neither of them could enjoy the comfort of the seat they had played against each other. Other soon to be classmates began filing out of the double-decker bus. The PAD ran scratched the back of his head. "Oops, didn't intend for it be that long. But thanks for the fun, Sakura. See you around school?"

Sakura nodded as she collected a small backpack onto her back as they made their way off the bus. Heterochrmatic eyes spotted her luggage and turned to Johan and waved. "Sayonara."

Immediately Sakura realized she spoke Japanese. The girl believed that he didn't have a clue what she was saying, causing her to flush in embarrassment. Then the said guy waved back and replied in Japanese. "Ja ne!"

He knew Japanese? Honestly it was hard to find other people that could speak the same native tongue as her since most of those students attended Duel Academia. A smile found it's way onto Sakura's face. Johan Andersen…definitely someone that'd be interesting to have around.

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

**(Jazzlyn's POV)**

I stepped off the bus, and grabbed my belongings. All students received maps of the campus, though I heard that North's not a big as most it's sister schools. I hadn't gotten mine when someone that appeared like a secretary approached. "Jazzlyn Andersen?" I nodded and was handed an envelope before the secretary person disappeared in the crowd. My green eyes examined for prying eyes before opening the envelope. The map. Not to my dorm but the location of secret base entrances, and weapon holders. A couple names were scrawled along the side of the map. I assumed these were me and Johan's only co-workers on the island.

"What's that Jazz?" a voice called over my shoulder. I quickly refolded the contents and placed them back in the envelope. It was Miku and Kyoko. "Just my map." I wasn't lying. It _was_ a map, just not one for 'civilians'. Our little trio was the only girls in Osiris. And because girls were there, they had to make a separate facility for girls (And they didn't have one for girls before? Isn't that a little sexist?).

Both assumed I had a room with them. However…I remember I 'accidentally' checked my gender as a guy instead of a girl. Why? Well, I didn't know that there were other girls. That and I'm more comfortable with guys (case and point, my brother). So, I actually had to part way with the girls but I promised I'd meet them at the welcome banquet tonight.

I wandered towards the dorm. I'll admit, it wasn't luxurious, but that's how I preferred it. It was most likely a fixer upper and my thoughts were only confirmed as I reached the creaky stairs to the only two floored dormitory. I had my suitcase trailing behind me as I reached a door that read '204'. I sighed. Here goes….

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

**(Johan's POV)**

I held the knob as I opened the door. The door led straight to a living room. There was a sofa and a coffee table with a tv across from the sofa. Two matching seats were on each side of the couch. I walked forward to see there were two other openings in the room, each leading to a minature hallway with two doors across from each other on each side. I heard there would be only two other residents besides myself in the room so I assumed the fourth was our bathroom.

All the doors were closed and the furniture in the front appeared undisturbed. Had my roommates not arrived yet? My answer came as an door on his left opened. There was a guy with his grayish-blue spheres peeking from his icy blue bang. A marking was on his left cheek, just beneath his eye. The person made no notion to speak only examining me. I waved in greeting. "Hey, there, I guess you must be my 'neighbor' right? I'm Johan."

I must've done _something_ wrong because the guy only seemed to glare at me. Before I could inquire, a door on the right opened. "Ah, the great Rory hears yet another new voice within his domain."

I don't know if it was the phrasing or just the fact at person referred to themselves in third person, but I sweat dropped at the comment. There was a…how should I say… 'regal' appearing boy. His golden hair styled in a clean-cut manner, much unlike myself. His green spheres landed on us, or rather me. "You. You must be the other one. Please tell me that you're nicer than him."

"He can't be that bad." I defended my black-haired roommate. Instead of reacting to the quip, the quiet guy retreated back into his room. A faint _click_ alerted me of him locking the door. My 'royal'-like companion mocked my words. "'He can't be that bad', uh-huh. I suggest you just stay outta his way."

I wasn't going to respond to that. My blonde-haired roomie appeared to catch my drift. Shifting the topic, he introduced. "I am the great Rory, the king of royalty, and numero un of the Obelisk ranks."

"Johan Andersen." I answered. "Average duelist and student." Oh what a lie! I didn't mean to sound conceited but I _was_ a really good duelist. Sure I probably can't become the King of Games just yet, but I was getting there.

From Rory's room a fanfare sounded. I sweat dropped. Was this guy really this…obsessive about this 'royal' thing? I couldn't ask since he announced. "It appears a maiden must've summoned me to her presence, I must answer her beckon."

It was hard. _Really_ hard to keep my green eyes from rolling. Deciding it best to unpack before the wecoming party for us freshmen, I headed to my room. The room itself was bare (probably for the residents to have ample room to personalize their rooms) with only the standard furnishings: a bed, a desk, a lamp, and ceiling fan/lamp. A closet was on the right, near the door.

On the bed I noticed two things. One, a PDA that had a screensaver that had the initials 'NA'. Two, a envelope with my name written in the neat scrawl. My fingers ran under the flap to open it. There enclosed was a map…to the bases for my job and a couple of names that I believed were my allies. So now begins the extended mission at North Academia.

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

**(Jazzlyn's POV)**

The room was snug to say the least. There was a bathroom locate adjacent to the door. I walked to see the hotel style dressers to my left with an empty loft bed to my right. Ahead of me were bunk beds with their occupants gawking at my appearance.

"Oh shit! We get a girl too? This day just keeps getting better!" one on the lower bunk exclaimed. His black hair was dishevled, worse than Johan's! His skin was a healthy shade. Though, physically what stood out to me were his silver bang and the marking under his right eye. But currently, the only thing that was catching the grunt of my attention was the fact the blue eyes he had were trailing up and down towards me.

I pretended to not to notice. "I thought girls were supposed to be in their own dorm room." the voice came from the boy on the higher bunk. He appeared completely uninterested by my arrival but probably surprised by the fact I managed to get in here. The guy's hair was a dark brown with blue eyes. He had a pair of headphones settled at his neck. "How'd you manage to be in the guy's dorm?"

"Not hard to check 'male' at the gender box." I replied simply as I slung my bag to the side. "And since all dorms have been filled and assigned, I'm stuck here."

"Betcha you did that just so you can get a look at a guy." the silver-banged guy commented. I didn't bother hiding my rolling eyes. I drily quipped. "Yeah, yeah I did, just like you were imagining groping my chest."

A laugh came from the male on the top bunk. "I can tell we'll get along just fine. Leon Torrington." I nodded my head before I introduced. "Jazz Andersen."

"And I'm Orion!" the loudest of us cried.

I sweat dropped. Only been in for less than five minutes and I could already tell, these roommates would be interesting…very interesting.

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

**(Third Person POV)**

Johan and Jazzlyn were on their laptops that night. They hadn't been able to explore their bases yet however they quickly memorized the campus layout. The twins were typing back and forth to each other, letting their twin know about their status and their day.

_We should start our investigations on anything 'weird' at the school,_ Johan chided from their textbox. Less half a minute later his reply was, _And our roommates don't count as that?_

_Actually…I wanted to check int-_, the teenage boy paused mid-sentence when his sister suddenly wrote in, _Go to the school website._

Confused by Jazzlyn's sudden message, he pulled up his internet and typed in the school address. There was a picture of a warning. It was written, in the green-eyed detective's opinion, in paint, both average and oil. It was in all capitals saying:

_**BEWARE, HE'LL TRICK YOU**_

It was their first night and already they were going to start their occupation as paranormal anomaly detectives at North Academia. Tomorrow they would be visiting the Ra girls' dorm.

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

_And…done….at 12:11 in the morning on a school night._

_Johan: And you have two tests and a quiz in the morning._

_Kirei: Oh dammit! I gotta go, but I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Read and review!_


	3. Mission 2: Detentions and Investigations

_Kirei: Two updates within a couple of days, I'm on a roll baby!_

_Jazzlyn: Either that or high on sugar._

_Johan: Or sleep deprived._

_Both: Or both._

_Kirei: Forget you both! I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh GX but I do own my plot and some OC. The other OC belong to their respective owners._

_**Reviewers Response:**_

_Oak-chan:_Jazzlyn: _I am the evil one, Johan just dislikes Kirei. _Rory: _Oh a fair maiden has- _Johan: _*kicks* No one invited you to this! _Jazzlyn: _I am not a pervert! I just don't like being among girls, they're so catty._

_Chrisandersenyuki:__ Yes, the roommates are very interesting, though most for the Andersen twins are Oak-chan's characters._

_Yukiko Shiroryuu:__ Yes, I'll leave you ponder that message because it'll be really important, hehehe…zombies? Hm…didn't consider those. Maybe I'll do one of those soon…As for the Kuroshitsuji fanfic. It was just an idea, but if someone wants to see it done, I'll definitely write _

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

**(Johan's POV)**

I met with Jazz before our first class which we just so happened to have together. We were underneath a staircase, in the shadows. Jazz reviewed our course of action. "So we have today to talk to the girls that live in that wrecked room to see if we even need to investigate it. If we don't-"

"-Then you just need to serve the detention to meet our fellow PAD here," I interjected. She nodded. "Leaving you enough time to examine the scene if it is something paranormal."

"So who are our dorm mates in question?" I wondered. My sister answered. "There is, Lien Vo, La'Rae Drescher, and Kayla Bennett." Green eyes examined the pictures of the girls. "We both have Kayla in our lunch, La'Rae is in my gym class, and Lien is in your act class. So, I guess it's just up to you to get yourself detention."

An expression of mock offense graced my sibling's face. She scoffed, "Johan, I am Jazzlyn Andersen, trouble is my middle name."

"No it's not it-" I chided. Her hand immediately went over my mouth, "Don't you dare even finish the statement. Don't worry, I'll get that detention."

We nodded to each other before parting to our respective friends. Our first class was Card Theory, which basically covered the uses, counters, and types of cards. It also included history, processes, and other stuff of duel monsters. All of which, Jazzlyn and I already learned, making it incredibly boring. I felt myself nodding off, and my teacher, Mr. Hobbs, didn't appear to care. Or anything the Obelisk did at all. However, he was snarling at the Ra and preying on helpless Osiris. What a jerk…

I looked from the high up seating in the lecture-based class I had. Jazz appeared to have the same idea I had, as she and another one of her friends were asleep. Mr. Hobbs hadn't noticed them yet as he was busy dealing with another of the students. He was one of the guys that Jazzlyn reported as her roommate. What was his name. "Orion! What would type of card is the Jar of Greed?"

"How should I know? You spent the last 15 minutes just talking about what type of cards there are." The guy appeared laid-back yet annoyed at the sudden question.

It was true. If it weren't for my studies before North, I wouldn't have known the answer either. However, the fact that Orion was an Osiris student and that he hadn't answered the question, only made the Osiris dorm as a whole look stupider. In my opinion, that was completely unfair, but if I went against the standards of this school so early, I'd blow my cover. So I could only leave this to my younger sibling.

From the crowd I noticed my roommate, whose name I still didn't know. He seemed to be glaring at our teacher, as if it would make Mr. Hobbs drop dead on the spot. Did he think the same way?

"Since Mr. Undine failed to know the answer," Mr. Hobbs said rather loudly before slamming a ruler at the desk space that my sister and her fellow classmate rested their head. Jazz, completely unfazed, sat up as if it never happened. Her companion on the other had appeared to have jumped right out her skin. "Maybe know the answer Miss Miku. What type of card is Jar of Greed?"

"Uh…" Miku stammered. "A-A spell?"

"Incorrect!" he declared in his English accent, slapping his ruler down on the desk to emphasize his point. Miku appeared to jump back at the slamming of the ruler, avoiding getting hit by it. Then Mr. Hobbs' brown eyes settled onto my sister. "It seems like two strikes against the Osiris. If I get one more, I think I may have to hold extra lessons for all them."

Groans of protest erupted from the red-clad students. Now that was just heartless. "So it all comes down to you…Miss Andersen. Get your textbooks ready children because she's gonn-"

"Normal Trap Card." Jazzlyn interrupted. The glee on our pudgy teacher's face was erased. "What?"

My sister stared at her teacher, unafraid and spunky, she said. "Jar of Greed is a Normal Trap Card, Mr. Hobbs."

"That's….that's…correct…" the man gaped that the last student he called knew the answer but he quickly came up with a solution to Jazz's success. "However it's easy for a student who heard it to look it up."

"Sir, how can I do that when I don't even have my textbook out?" she pointed out, rolling her eyes. She was also right on that note but it appeared that Mr. Hobbs wouldn't let her by so easily. He ignored her statement and demanded. "Origination of duel monsters?"

"Egypt over 3,000 years ago."

Our teacher was growing red since an Osiris student got not only one but two answers correct, "How many cards you can hold at one time?"

"Five."

Jazzlyn was clearly entertained by her knowledge infuriating her mentor with a clear Obelisk-favoritism. He said both of the questions earlier, both to Obelisk students and they got them wrong. For Jazz to answer them without so much as a thought, made my rank look like complete idiots. I had to stifle my laughter, "What is type does a field card fall under?"

"Continuous magic."

"You think you're so smug?" he pointed at the smirk my twin wore. "When can you special summon a monster? Just answer that, Osiris drop out!"

"First off, my name is 'Jazzlyn' nor 'Osiris drop out'," she answered. "Second, that is a trick question, because a monster can be special summoned by an effect, magic, or trap card during the Main Phase 1, Battle Phase, Main Phase 2, and the Damage Phase. But it also may be summoned at the End Phase and the very rare cases of the Draw Phase, via effect, magic, trap. So does that answer your question, Mr. Hobbs?"

"You disrespectful little child, detention!" he cried.

"Okay, but did I get the question right?" I knew Jazzlyn's motives for wantin him to say it. It was written all over the faces of the Obelisk where I sat and the Ra just below me. None, and I repeat none, knew the full extent of the answer. Most would've said during the main phases. But for an Osiris to speak with confidence on their complex reply, they wanted to know if she was bullsh*ting. "Y-Yes it is…"

Gasps and murmurs erupted in the class with Mr. Hobbs unable to quell them until the bell. Students filed out with pats on the back coming from her fellow red-adorned students. Already the first day and Jazz was making a name for herself. But as Leanne reminded us on undercover missions: _Sometime the best way to blend in is to stand out._

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

**(Jazzlyn's POV)**

I had my hair ruffled my Kyoko, "Way to go, Jazz!"

Miku was on my side. "I could see the steam coming form Hobbs' ears! He was so mad!"

A glint of suspicion flickered in Kyoko's red eyes before she wondered, "Are you really an Osiris student?"

"Of course! I totally flunked on the entrance exam! I was the very last place of all the freshmen. You wanna see my test?" I laughed. Before she could answer, the warning bell rang. We had to split from here and I was to get changed for gym. I noticed all the girls wearing these cutesy sweat pants and shirts. Didn't they know that we're supposed to sweat in these clothes? I was getting changed into the boys clothes I owned when someone approached.

"You Jazzlyn Andersen?"

My shirt was over my head so I couldn't see the female but I replied. "That's what it says on my birth certificate."

"Nice job, I think Hobbs blew a fuse. And I wanted to know if you were the type of girl to help me out." I had baggy shirt on, and could see who was talking to me. Her fiery red hair was pulled into a single high ponytail. Her yellow eyes alit with mischief. I recognized her as one of the girls of the Ra dorm I needed to talk to. I internally smiled, an interview and a new person to reek havoc in North? This day was just getting better and better.

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

**(Johan's POV)**

I entered the classroom to see an scatter of canvases and paper. A lanky lady in a paint-stained smock with her cinnamon locks in a messy bun, rushed over to me. She greeted in a sing-song voice. "Good morning!"

"Good morning, Mrs.…" I trailed off, realizing I didn't know her name. Her inky black spheres sparkled as she said. "Capella! But please call me Vicki. For this class, I just want you to draw, paint, sketch anything you like so I can figure out your style."

I nodded before she energetically greeted the next students that walked in. I examined the chaotic room for a certain person. I found her behind the painting group of students, her midnight blue hair in a ponytail. Her purple eyes scrutinizing her work. I took a sketchbook and pencil and took a seat in one of the desks besides her. Trying to break the ice, I said, "It's a bit a chaotic in here, don't you think?"

"A bit?" she incredulously echoed. I chuckled. "Okay it's a complete mess."

She giggled. I extended my hand. "Johan."

"Lien." she answered. "What are you trying to draw, Johan?"

I sheepishly scratched my head, "I don't really know…maybe one of my cards? You?"

Lien promptly looked down cast, stray blue locks fell over the only eye I could see. Her fingers gripped her sketchbook. She clutched the book to her chest, as if it were her life line, "You wouldn't believe me…"

"Oh yeah?" I teased, "Try me."

Purple spheres scanned the bodies before and around us. Then she pulled me towards her. I felt my skin burn at the proximity. Her eyes met mine, as if calculating whether or not she could really confide in me, "Did you hear about a Ra dorm room getting this nasty message on their walls?"

"It was on the school website, yeah."

"Well…" Lien examined the room once more, looking for eavesdroppers. Then she continued, "That was my room. And well…none of us did it. My dorm mate, Kayla has proof. All of a sudden, me and my other roomie, La'Rae's, art supplies began floating on their own and made the message. For only a moment, we saw a girl holding supplies, writing it. So I'm drawing her. You think I'm crazy don't you?"

I shook my head. I honestly didn't because it only proved that I had to investigate the scene after school. "I believe you. I swear, I do. Did the spirit do something to you?"

Her ponytail swished as she gestured 'no', "I only heard her say something like, "Don't trust him". It was so strange…I hope they resolve this soon. I want my room back."

So it wasn't anything malicious or evil, that much was good. That meant that I wouldn't have to worry about getting pummeled by spirit, most likely of a dead student. The spirit, I gathered, wasn't to scare students, but _warn_ us of something or _someone_ in the school. I noticed Lien's picture. It depicted a girl with strawberry blonde hair and saddened blue eyes. Her willowy frame was in a girl's Ra uniform. However, she appeared to have angelic wings on her back.

So this was my first mission…

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

**(Jazzlyn's POV)**

BEEP!

This was followed by a the sound of water spraying. And a round of screeching was heard after the spraying. Wondering what happened? The emergency sprinklers went off and girls complained about their hair and make up. Me, on the other hand, was laughing my xxx off with La'Rae. She wiped at tears at her eye, "Man that was funny!"

I nodded, still trying to recovering from my laughing fit. Our gym teacher stared at us questionably, probably assuming it was us (which it was), but she couldn't prove it. La'Rae was pretty cool and a prankster, much like me and Johan, she enjoyed fun, but not the extent of scaring other students crapless. But, I had to ask, "Hey, La'Rae, you hear about that writing in a Ra student's room?"

"Of course I heard of it, it happened in my room!" she cried. I feigned surprise, "Really? That must've been really cool. Or was it another Drescher prank?"

Her red locks shook as she caught my gaze, "Not a chance! That used all my good paints! Those aren't exactly cheap, you know. It was really some ghost or something." She looked at me. "And you don't believe me."

"C'mon La'Rae, a ghost? What is this, the discovery channel?" I guffawed, though I was honestly faking it. A smile smirked my face. "No serious, La'Rae, I believe you. Without a doubt. Anyone that pulls a sneaky prank must have an honest heart."

"Where the logic in that?" she asked. I replied. "There's none."

We burst out laughing again, though I noted, Johan _would_ have to explore La'Rae's dorm after hours.

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

**(Johan's POV)**

I just exited the lunch line and noticed that girls were staring at me. Not just a couple, and they weren't staring at something by me but _at_ me. It was sorta creepy. My eyes scanned for some place, any place that might offer me salvation from the unanimous gawking I was receiving. An answer was the waving of a hand by a door. It was Jazz. She gestured to come outside.

We were allowed to eat anywhere, as long as we got to class on time afterwards. There was a cafeteria, right next to the lunch line. A commons, or an area where students were free to hang out, was packed with classmates. Outside seemed like the less stuffy of the options. I walked out the door and met with the cool breeze and the scent of the mountains.

Jazz was sitting on a rock with her roommate, Leon, and who I recognized at La'Rae and Kayla at a nearby bench/table. There was also two other girls, I didn't know. "Hey bro, let me introduce everyone. This is Leon, Miku, La'Rae, Kyoko, and Kayla. Everyone, this is my brother, Johan."

I waved while everyone seemed to be doing a double take. I was accustomed to this, after all, I _am_ a fraternal identical twin with Jazzlyn. We did look alike so maybe it was the shock they needed to get over. Kayla, had wine red hair falling all over her eyes, as she stammered. "Y-You're twins?"

"Yep, and I'm the oldest." I proudly said, knowing that I hit a nerve with my sister. She seethed between her teeth, "By three frickin' minutes."

Everyone laughed at me and Jazz's reaction towards each other. No, it wasn't rehearsed, we did truly work like that. Despite our job and our 'incognito', me and Jazz were still siblings that bickered and fought (both verbally and physically) just like normal siblings. We joked and chatted with our newfound friends and partaking in a challenge of seeing who could chug their milk faster.

We had a couple of people judging, while the rest of us held our cartons in our hands. A simultaneous yell of 'go' was cried before all the contestants poised opening of the carton at their lips. The rush of cool liquid raced down my throat as I tried to outdo everyone against me. When we all put down our empty cartons, Leon was declared the winner. Us losers groaned in protest and called for a rematch. I grinned. Right now was a moment that both of us Andersens weren't PAD, or 'on the clock'. At this point in time Jazz and I were just ordinary students just enjoying our new life at North Academia.

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

_So now I have introduced all the OC characters for now! Yay! Now I need to get on the mystery Johan and Jazzlyn have to solve. What does this spirit want? Will Johan confront it? And who are the Andersen twins' Echo allies in this duel school? Find out next time!_

_Oh I forgot three things last chapter:_

1) If it weren't obvious, Johan does not own the Crystal Beasts yet! In the anime, he had his North Academia uniform on when he won them. As for his current deck, again if it weren't apparent with the 'Insect Overlord', he owns an insect deck, since that was the deck he owned in the Yu-Gi-Oh GX manga.

2) To you all that have OC in the story, I wanted to know whether or not your character can see duel spirits. Also…any of you want to go out with Johan? (Remember, he hasn't met Judai yet.) Anything else…? Er…don't think so.

3) I have the main gang, but if there are any readers that would like to make an appearance somewhere in 'North Academia', fill out this sheet and send it to me either via review or pm: 


	4. Mission 3: Meeting the Spirit

_Kirei: I should be burned out from school._

_Jazzlyn: You probably will be next week._

_Kirei: Remind me why again?_

_Johan: You have mid-term testing in AP US history_

_Kirei: Holy Ra! I do! Sh*t! *cries* NO! *goes into panic*_

_Jazzlyn: I think we made her crack._

_Johan: Jazz, she was cracked for quite a while. And since she isn't calming down, anytime soon, we'll do the disclaimer._

_Jazz and Johan: Kirei doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh GX and some of the OC but she does own her plot._

_**Reviewers Response:**_

_Anime Akane:_Johan: _Do you really have something against me or something?_

_Ari-chan and ReNA:__ Hey ReNA, I haven't heard from you in a while. I started to wonder if school buried you all but I'm glad to see you review._

_Yukiko Shiroryuu:_Jazzlyn: _No one likes him and how am I silly? Hobbs was asking for it!_

_Oak-chan:_Orion: _And that's the support I get from my 'dear' creator. Figures…_ Jazzlyn: _Well it looks like the readers have it in for me. _Johan: _Now you know my pain._

_Khlover91:__ Thank you very much. I'm glad that someone enjoys my stories._

_Chrisandersenyuki:__ Thanks, I tried to make it funny. And…failed epically! _

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

**(Johan's POV)**

It was after hours of school and I met with Jazzlyn under the stairs yet again before she had to serve her detention. I asked, "So how was La'Rae?"

"Great," my sister quipped, "we just might have another hand to help us with our pranks."

I grinned. Jazzlyn and I had a knack for being pranksters. It made us exercise our stealth and it was good to get a kick at the victims of our schemes. But then I shifted to the business that we had to do, "Lien was drawing the spirit in class. So just that says that without a doubt it's something supernatural."

Jazz nodded, "Kayla showed me the video tape of the ghost. A girl with blondish-hair, blue eyes, and wings."

"That's what Lien drew, so it's true," I said, "looks like I'm gonna be doing an exorcism."

My sibling brushed off dust from her pants, "Good luck with that. I'll brief you on the additions to our group later. See ya."

With that my sister departed from our meeting place. Her ponytail swishing with her confident stride. I sighed. Technically I had the most work for this mission. This was not fair…

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

I was preparing to head for the Ra girls' dorm with my backpack of supplies. Problem was that guys aren't supposed to be _near_ the dormitory. That was when I realized, it would've been so much better had Jazz gone because she _is _a girl. I was about to go back and pull an 'Andersen switcharoo' but she was in detention and I couldn't get her out. Frustrated and dreading, I face palmed. Looks like I had no choice…I had to cross dress.

It was after hours so most of the students were milling about in their normal clothes. I ducked behind a bunch of trees so I wasn't seen. I changed into jeans and a sweater, hey, what'd you expect? Me walk out in a skirt and skin-revealing top? 1) I'm not that deep of a cross dresser and 2) It's _cold_ at this school! From my bag, I took a comb to take down my spikes, and look just like my sister. I walked back out of the evergreens and sauntered towards the Ra dorm. Luckily for me, it was still the beginning of the year so all the girls weren't familiar with all the faces of the students.

I headed towards the location of the haunted dorm room. Waiting until there were no girls in the hall, I went to the door and managed to pick the lock. Quickly and quietly I shut the door again and put my bag onto the ground. From my bag I had a large oriental styled cover shielding the precious items underneath. Undoing the ties, I revealed the wooden wands, onde _(1)_, that I stuck around the room. Bells and white paper zigzag chain designs were attached to their ends.

Setting them up in a square around the living/kitchen, I placed these daggers. Then I put a sheet paper _(2) _with written hiragana. One went over the door and the other on the window. Before me I had a mirror, piece of jade, and a different miniature sword. This was a informal 'exorcism' set up. I wasn't a professional at the divination business like my mom but she had taught me in a style that I preferred, which was Japanese. She told me some wives' tale that whatever kind of divination I preferred would be the ethnicity of my true love. (C'mon you have to laugh at that! It's just like an urban legend, I mean what are the odds of me being in love with someone of Japanese descent?) _(3)._

I sat with my legs crossed and put my hands together in a seal. Words of older tongue began spewing from my mouth. Tension released from my body as I continued. Smoke rose from the floorboards in front of me. Wisps whirled around into a large mass. Slowly it began gain features and a definite form. Short strawberry-blond hair billowed in an invisible wind. watery blue eyes shone in the light. Fair skin was transparent, allowing me to see through her. Finally white wings were visible as if she was already an angel. I had finished my incantation

She looked at my quizzically, so I managed to speak, "Uh, hi there, I was just sorta curious about you."

"About me? Why would anyone be curious? I'm a freak!" she exclaimed, a gust of wind bursting at her words. I resisted the gust and quickly amended, "Not like that…I mean, I want to know who you are and I want to know why you wrote that message on the walls. Please…I just want to help you move on…"

"Who are you?" the spirit asked, not completely trusting my intentions just yet. I answered, "Johan, just an average freshmen here at North."

The girl seemed to laugh, "I don't think an average freshman wears girls clothes and summons a ghost."

I reddened at the girls' clothes and scratched my head, "I suppose you're right about that, but that's just how far I'm willing to go for meeting you…um…"

"Olivia," she interjected.

I nodded, "That's a pretty name. So, Olivia, why do you have those wings?"

The bit of bubbliness within her faded, "Because of that man…he transformed me…and my friends, even people I disliked and people I didn't know." she doubled over as she recalled her memories, "So many of them…like me, died and more are still suffering. Why does he do it? It's not fair. No one deserves this."

She wasn't specific but I could imagine the scene. Students of all dorms and grades in agony and either passed to the next life or continuing their torture. The thought made me want to gag and ball my fists, "Listen to me Olivia, I want you to know that me and my partner will definitely take care of this guy. Make sure that he's put away and repents for every single student he's dared hurt."

Tears streamed from her face as she made herself the same level as me. Her translucent arms wrapped around me. She spoke in a rapid German, "Thank you…thank you…"

Though she was solid, I managed to put my hand on her non-feathered back. But then I noticed her form was becoming lighter, "I believe in you and can move on now…and if it's too much, Johan, can you please…tell my parents, I love them and that I was sorry…?"

I nodded as the rest of Olivia's body begun to fade, a smile on her face before she vanished into the air. I knew I didn't do the most 'efficient' exorcism. But how could I? She was so pained just _thinking_ about her tragic end. To ask her to go into details about it…I felt that she would've never been able to go to the next life. Yes, I'm supposed to take care of anomalies and threats that use the supernatural, but in my heart, I also believed that as a PAD I had to clean up the mess all the strangeness left behind.

After all…if I didn't, who would? I whispered to the air, though I knew the girl was long gone, "May you rest peacefully, Olivia…"

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

_Very short, I know but I needed to have more…sentimental-like chapter._

_Authoress' Notes:_

1) onde: A wooden wand with paper zigzag designs. It is also called a gohei or heisoku. They look like this: /images_

2) ofuda: These a rectangular slips of paper with incantations or special writing on it. They serve as wards, or protection from ill omens. In Johan's case he was putting them on to keep the spirit from leaving the room.

3) This 'wives tale' was completely made up since most people don't practice divination. This was a complete joke. It was to show how currently Johan doesn't consider love seriously. And it was ironic because in my other stories, Family Business and Family Ties, Johan is in love with Judai, who is obviously Japanese.

_Oh and I realized that I was being an airhead. Yet again. I forgot to post the form that you have to submit via PM to have character (will tell you now, may or may not be a prominent character, depending on my creativity and how interesting you make your character(s) on North Academia:_

Name:

Ethnicity:

Age:

Deck:

Appearance:

Gender:

Personality:

Special Conditions (medical, mental, etc.):

Interests:

Dislikes:

Dorm (Osiris, Ra, Obelisk):

History (you can make something dark or such, because I just may put your history into a plotline for an installment of North Academia):


	5. Mission 4: Obelisk Fever

_Jazzlyn: You alright Kirei?_

_Kirei: I think I'm having computer withdrawal…_

_Johan: Oh crap! Jazz be careful…_

_Jazzlyn: Why?_

_Johan: Because she's usually psychotic when she's going through withdrawal._

_*Kirei is curled up and rocking back and forth*_

_Jazzlyn: *flatly* Yeah, she's a real Arkham Asylum regular…And since she's out of it, I'll do the disclaimer: Kirei does not own Yu-Gi-Oh GX nor all of the OC but she does own the plot line!_

_**Reviewers Response:**_

_Yukiko Shiroryuu:_Jazzlyn: _I'm not silly for getting into trouble. _Kirei: _Nope, it's not because of tests, it's because I am grounded from my laptop so I can't update._

_Ari-chan and ReNA:_Kirei: _Sounds like me and my friends, ReNA. _Johan: _NO! I should _NOT_ crossdress more! _Kirei: _Yes, you should and probably will. _Johan: _someone save me…_

_Oak-chan:_Orion: _Oh, I don't know…compassion? _Kirei: _I cannot reveal that information~!_

_Chrisandersenyuki:_Johan: _What is up with all you fangirls and liking me crossdressing?_

_Charathepyroqueen: __You changed your name! And I know what you mean about school…it sucks!_

_**~~~~All Hail Eccentricness~ All Hail Eccentricness~ All Hail Eccentricness~~~~**_

**(Jazzlyn's POV)**

"Ah...ah…achoo!" a sneeze was released from where we were hidden behind a staircase. I reeled back to avoid being bombarded with germs, I replied in Spanish, "Salud. You sound awful, Johan."

"I know…" He sniffed. His face appeared flushed while his nose rivaled Rudolph's in redness. Johan sounded nasally as he couldn't breathe through his nose, "And the weird thing is, I felt fine yesterday…"

I shrugged, "It _is _cold enough to make you sick overnight. Probably just the flu but either way, get the hell away from me, I don't wanna be sick."

"Your concern touches me."

I gave a mocking smile as the bell rang. We separated and headed to our respective 'groups' for class. Today, like every other day, my teacher was trying to make me look like an idiot. Ever since my first day, I've only been receiving hell from Mr. Hobbs. I mean all I did was answer his questions and yet he hates my guts.

When Hobbs decided that he should embarrass some other student (since he failed to stump me eight times), I glanced about the room. To say the least, it was lacking. What I noticed was that some Obelisk students were missing from class. Was it a dorm thing? I shook my head, wouldn't Johan have said something? Then again…I glanced to where I spied a mass of turquoise hair lying across the desk…my brother was less vigilant when he was ill.

After school, my partner and I were supposed to search for any clues for the person the spirit, Olivia, claimed couldn't be trusted. My brother was fired up to find the guy, and why not? Anyone that killed people-students no less-should be found quickly. However, the said sibling appeared dead on his feet. I think if I poked him, he'd keel over. Finally, I declared, "Johan, go back to your dorm and rest. You're too sick."

Normally, he would argue with me to convince me he was well enough to continue investigating. However, uncharacteristically Johan nodded and shuffled back towards his living quarters. Weird…Maybe him being sick was something worth looking into?

Nah…I'm overanalyzing this…

_**~~~~All Hail Eccentricness~ All Hail Eccentricness~ All Hail Eccentricness~~~~**_

_Jazz, I'm not coming to class tomorrow…_ was the message that suddenly appeared onto my work messenger. I blinked before replying, _Why?_

I didn't get a reply. I typed, _Johan, you still there?_

Nothing. I glanced to where my roommates' bunks were. They were asleep. I closed my laptop, descended from my bed and slipped on my tennis shoes. Carefully and quietly, I opened the door. CREAK!

"Where are you going?" a voice suddenly asked. _Damn faulty construction_, I mentally cursed before facing the vibrant blue eyes of Orion. His black hair was a tangle as he rubbed his eye. I couldn't lie, after all, who the hell would decide to do _anything_ at one twenty something in the morning? I honestly answered, "Going to see my brother."

"I knew it, you're into the incest stuff," He quipped. I felt my fingers ball into fists as I repressed my urge to go over and strangle him. What an xxx! Instead of using my fists I merely replied, "Wow, I'm surprised _you_ know such a big word like incest. Give yourself a gold star."

Shutting the door behind me, I walked out. It took about fifteen minutes to get to the Obelisk dorms, which were connected to the school building (yet another perk of the 'best of the best'). The dorms were locked once it was lights out, and the school was open but had a bunch of security cameras. I weighed my options: ducking and hiding or picking a lock.

The dorm entrance had a normal knob with a lock. I glanced down at my wrist at my WATCH, "WATCH, I need lock picking kit."

It faintly glowed in recognition and a small pouch was projected from the system. I stuck one piece in while I used the other to reach the slots for where the key was. Fumbling a bit (hey, it's not exactly the weather to be in pajamas!) I tinkered with the lock until I heard a CLICK! I walked in and went through the halls.

It sounded like a hospital. Coughs and sniffing came from almost every room. Wheezing and complaints were murmurs behind closed doors. I reached Johan's room to hear the same noises. From underneath my clothes I pulled out a cord with both my and Johan's room key on it. Using the key, I unlocked the dorm room. I glanced about before heading to where Johan said he resided. Coming in, I called, "Johan."

His hair stuck up from under comforters while his laptop lies open with the screen black. The red comforter rose up and down in time with his breathing. He was asleep. Deep asleep. To most people, this was a good thing, but to me, it's the opposite. You see, I've always tried to scare Johan while he was asleep. End result? The joke's on me. So for Johan to not react to me is a bit unnerving.

My hand touched his forehead. He's burning up. And sweaty, I thought as I removed my hand. I pulled back the comforter, and I watched his sleeping form shudder. Groggy green eyes struggled open, "Jazz…"

"Shh…" I said, silently thanking a divine being for my surrogate mom not being around to see me acting nice to my older brother, "You stopped replying so I came over. How ya feeling?"

"Like crap."

"You look it too." I answered, holding my WATCH to his head. A computerized voice said, "Temperature 105 degrees Fahrenheit."

"Sh**," I cursed as I used the PDA we were given, to dial a number. Johan was falling asleep again. The face of a lady with orange hair and black eyes appeared on screen. Her thick Swedish accent came through as she asked, "Andersen? I didn't expect you to call me."

"Ah, Ms. Stevenson, sorry to disturb you so late," I apologized, "but I'm afraid that my brother's sick with a high fever."

"Johan too?" her brows furrowed in worry. I wondered, "Too? There's more than just him?"

"Andersen, I'd like to speak about this in person. Please bring your sibling with you." Ms. Stevenson told me. Why did I have a bad feeling about this?

**(Nurse's Office)**

My double was sleeping soundly on one of the available beds. The beds were almost filled with students. All of them in blue uniforms. Obelisk students…A steaming cup was put in front of my face. My green spheres glanced up to the homely face of the school nurse. Grateful, I took the cup of tea and sipped, "Ms. Stevenson is it some kind of pathogen?"

"That was that I believed at first but I haven't found any trace of a resemblance," the nurse admitted. She, like me and Johan, was a PAD. Ms. Stevenson had shown us the results of the mysteriously ill students that she had classified and such. And in a way, she was like me and Johan's mentor (even though we're full-time PAD) and a confidant for our double lives, "I don't know what it could be, but I've noticed…they're only boys."

"Huh?" I wondered, not expecting the revelation, "Only boys?"

"Boys in the Obelisk dorm to be precise," her brown eyes glanced in the next room where the patients lie, "and I've only been receiving calls all day of more boys falling ill."

I admitted, "And a lot sounded sick when I went to check on Johan. It's like it's the whole dorm being affected. I can't think of anything weird that could make some many people sick at one time. Even mischievous creatures like pixies or goblins take longer than one day."

"Andersen, worry not. You are bright like your father, I'm sure you'll figure it out soon. Just watch out for something strange," she optimistically told me. I nodded.

_**~~~~All Hail Eccentricness~ All Hail Eccentricness~ All Hail Eccentricness~~~~**_

La'Rae and I were changing after gym. As I took off my shorts, La'Rae commented, "Hey, class looked so empty. Did you see how many people were absent? I wonder why…what if it was a party?"

"Somehow, I doubt that," I answered while I put my jeans on. My shirt was over my head when I felt my arm smack something. When the white cloth of my t-shirt was removed from my head, my eyes noticed a girl with a yellow accented white shirt on the ground. Her backpack was open, its items scattered across the floor.

I got on my knees and gathered her belongings. Then I paused at a bottle. It was large and had a long neck. It was jeweled and had a cap on the top. Before I could grasp it, the green haired girl swiped it. Her purple eyes glared at me for a fraction of a second before she blushed. Her head turned away, as I held out her papers and folders.

"Uh, sorry. Changing you know?" I sheepishly explained, rubbing my head. She still didn't look at me, "Are you mad?"

"N-No…It's just…" she grasped her stuff and fidgeted. Purple spheres glanced again before staring at the ground, "you don't have your shirt on."

I blinked. Oh right~ "Sorry 'bout that, did I hurt you?"

"OH Quincy~" a singsong voice called from further in the lockers. The girl's, I assumed her name was Quincy, eyes widened as she scrambled to her feet. Something dropped from her bag as she stood.

"N-No…thank you but I must be going!" green locks fluttered behind her as she rushed out. La'Rae came up, "What's up with that? She acts as if it's strange to be shirtless in the locker room."

La'Rae's words were half registered to me. My mind recalled the bottle Quincy had in her possession. I recognized it and I believed I found the plague that struck the Obelisk boys. Picking up the item, an ID, Quincy dropped, "Don't know."

But, I'm certainly gonna find out.

_**~~~~All Hail Eccentricness~ All Hail Eccentricness~ All Hail Eccentricness~~~~**_

**(Ra Girls' Dorm)**

Unlike the Obelisk girls' dorm, they didn't discriminate against an Osiris being around. Asking for the girl, Quincy Deboure, I was told her room number. Searching around, I reached the door in time to hear, "…I wish for those girls, Fiona, Celia, and Rebecca, I want them to go through I felt."

"Damn," I cursed. From behind the closed door I heard, "Of course…of course…but you do know your price, right?"

Using the ID in my hands, I slid it into the doorway to unlock it. The door came open to reveal Quincy with a decrepit figure dressed in traditional Arabian clothes. Both seemed surprised at my appearance but I wasn't. As soon as I noticed the bottle in her possession, I knew exactly what I was dealing with.

A djinn.

Djinn were like genies except, they're not like the ones you see in Disney movies. They're tricksters and cheaters. The djinn were so deceptive, not even lawyers could outdo them. These creatures had the power to alter time, space, physics, anything logical. However, there was only one limit to these djinn; they could only do this on the whim of any person that held their bottle. Like genies djinn had a limit of three wishes per person but unlike their counterparts, they would warp a wish of person so far it'd be something a person would regret.

"It's you," Quincy said, eyes wide. Ignoring her rambling, I demanded, "Just what are you doing? Messing with that is bound to get you in trouble!"

An invisible wind slammed the door shut. The djinn's rickety voice chorused, "Not as much as you're bound to be, child."

_**~~~~All Hail Eccentricness~ All Hail Eccentricness~ All Hail Eccentricness~~~~**_

_Boring chapter, I know, but please work with me! This is the best I can do with the notice I'm on. Next chapter'll better, I promise._

_Oh no! Johan is out commission with sickness. And Jazzlyn happened to find the culprit. But can she possibly deal with djinn without falling prey to its tricks?_


	6. Mission 5: Temptations of Desire

_Kirei: I have my computer back so I can write again._

_Jazzlyn: Yep, so be happy._

_Johan: I'm not._

_Jazzlyn: You never are._

_Kirei: Before you get into it, do the disclaimer!_

_Johan and Jazzlyn: Kirei does not own Yu-Gi-Oh GX nor all the OC but she does own her plotline._

_**Reviewers Response:**_

_Yukiko Shiroryuu:_Kirei:_ Well it did…sorta. _Johan: _What the hell? I still get the threats even when I'm not the protagonist of the chapter! _Kirei: _Are you really hoping for zombies sometime?_

_Oak-chan:_Kirei: _I do try to add some comedic lines for you all so thank you. _Jazzlyn: _Thank you, thank you!_

_Chrisandersenyuki:__ At least now you'll know what happens~ __**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

**(Jazzlyn's POV)**

_Okay, maybe I should've thought that one through, _I mused to myself, _but then again, when do I ever do that?_

"Oh Osiris!" I tuck and rolled to avoid being hit by a floor lamp held by the Ra student. I landed on my knees and commented, "You know, that could've really hurt. Hey!"

I laid flat to avoid a horizontal swing at my head. Curling my legs to her knees, I kicked out to collide with my assailant's abdomen. Quincy staggered back as I hoisted myself to her feet, "No seriously, that could injury one of us badly."

"Shut up!" the purple fuzzy lamp made an arc that was imminent to hit me. Suddenly my gloved hands grasped the lamp and jerked it. Holding the furniture I continued, "And when I say that, I mean you not me."

"Why are you trying to stop me? There are people that _deserve_ misfortune!" the Ra student cried, "All those girls that bullied me, those boys that played with me!"

"Boys?" I repeated, "What exactly did you wish?"

Purple eyes watered as she thought, "I wanted the boys that pretended to like me to suffer…and I wanted those girls that I hated to know the experience being bullied…"

It struck in two ways to me. On one hand I was ticked. Both of her wishes were so vague anything could happen! She obvious didn't use names in the first wish and since she didn't specify the males, the djinn infected _all_ the boys that had similarities with them. And that was the fact they all lived in the same dorm. I was outside when the second wish was made, so I had no idea how that one would turn out. Nor did I have the intention to find out.

On the other hand, this girl was abused. She was bullied and teased by people. I mean, if I were under those circumstances, I'd try to get even too. It seemed like Quincy had absolutely no fighting ability so maybe wishing was the only way for her to exact her revenge. I shook my head. However, no one deserves to get deathly sick or anything like that for vengeance.

Then I decided as I dropped the floor lamp. I walked over with the green-haired girl tripping back, afraid. Kneeling, I offered my hand, "If you want to get revenge you don't have be so extreme, okay? I'll help you get every person back personally if you don't cast your last wish."

"H-How?" her voice trembled. I smiled, "I'm Jazzlyn Andersen after all. Prankster, fighter, and friend. I won't let them hurt you anymore."

Tears welled in her eyes as she wrapped her hands around my neck, "Thank you so much…"

I returned the gesture and did a swift blow to the neck. I swear on my name that I'll help you, Quincy, but first, I have to clean up the mess. Clapping was heard from across the room where the djinn watched the entire scene, "What a touching moment. Quite an actress."

Gently I put the Ra girl onto the couch, and turned to the djinn with a hand on my hip, "I'm not acting, I'll help her. First off by undoing all your tricks."

"Tricks? They were wishes dear child," the Arabian clothed creature replied. I really wanted to punch this thing! I'm _not_ a child! Despite my internal fury, I kept a stoic façade and eyes off it, "No difference to me."

Grasping the imprisonment of the wish-maker, I prepared to tell it to undo all the wishes that it had done when I felt bony fingers grasp my face and raise them to the glowing gold eyes of the djinn. Damn! I tore away quickly though it was too late. It had to be able to look into a person's eyes in order to know their desires and if they could hold the gaze, use some kind of compulsion to have a person wish stupidly.

"I see…unlike others you want something more…sentimental," it's creaky voice thought aloud. I said nothing, "Loved ones lost to you…loved ones well-being…what a nice girl and nice girls…should be given what they deserve…just give me my freedom and you can have your parents back and your brother cured…"

"Like I'd-" I turned and there was the golden spheres in front of me. Suddenly I was hearing things, _"Jazzlyn…"_

I knew the voices and I felt my own choke, "Dad…mom…"

A hazy sight overtook my vision. I could see them. Their smiling faces and arms extended. I felt a pang surge through me. It seemed so realistic, as if they were really there. There was nothing that I could want than for our little family to be together again. Just me, mom, dad, and Johan…

Suddenly, I came back to my senses when I thought of my sibling's name. Right now he was suffering from a fever that classified as a 'medical emergency'. And the longer I took, the more likely he could just slip away.

Snapping out the delusion, I met with the djinn and clenched it's bottle tightly. I could see my knuckles turning white from the grip. I was pissed. Messing with my memory of my parents, was like trouncing on their graves. The pale imitations of them was disgraceful, "I have my three wishes. First-"

I kicked the being away from me. Surprisingly it flew across the room like a rag doll but I paid it no mind as I walked to it's crumpled figure, "-I wish for you to undo all the wishes you made before mine. Second-"

My boot was on it's chest. It squealed as if a thousand ton of pressure had been added, "-I wish for you to be returned to your bottle, never to be opened again. And finally-"

Then I grasped it by it's clothes, I glared and it flinched back as if I was killing it with just a stare, "-I wish for your bottle to be contained within the mountains of Kilimanjaro."

A gurgle seemed to come from the creature before it dissolved into a purple haze. The haze flew into the bottle I was holding before winking out of sight. Suddenly I felt slightly weary as I sunk to my knees. It was like some kind of power had surged through my body before it went to rest. I huffed as I looked over to the girl asleep on the couch.

Hopefully, all those wishes were undone… _**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

I entered the nurse's office to see a familiar sight sitting at a table drinking hot chocolate, "So this is what you've been doing? What if I was in danger?"

"You don't look like you're danger, Jazz," came the healthy response of Johan. He noted the load on my back, "Who's that?"

"The person that had a djinn," I replied as I laid her on an empty bed. Johan muttered something about how he never thought of a djinn before. Sitting besides him, I wondered, "How you're feeling?"

"Fit as an ox."

"But still looks like crap." I quipped, and we both laughed. A soft moan came from the form on the bed, as purple eyes blinked opened. The girl muttered, "There are two Miss Jazzlyn?"

I chuckled, "No, just me and my twin. Quincy, this is Johan. Johan this is Quincy, who would like to have some 'pranks' on her 'friends'."

Quincy blushed shyly and turned her head away while Johan internally was grinning. After all, who didn't love pulling pranks? Then I had to be serious since one thing was bugging me, "Uh, Quincy, where did you get the bottle with the djinn anyway?"

"Um…well…someone gave it to me…" she admitted, "I didn't see what he looked like but he told me 'this will help you with those people'. I thought it was a joke but sure enough there was it. Actually…where is it?"

I shrugged, "I just said take a hike and it did. Weird huh?"

Distracting her, Johan offered hot chocolate to the girl before we began discussing how she could get back at the students that were mean to her.

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

**(Third Person POV)**

Meanwhile a trench coat-wearing figure was making it's way away from the Ra girl's dorm, satisfied in their work. Their suspicions were correct. There were supernatural experts, paranormal anomaly detectives, on campus. But what surprised them was they were only freshmen students. Twins in opposite dorms.

The figure had dealt with others like the twins, Andersens, they remembered their surname. However, they were all teachers or assistants that went 'missing' after encountering them. The person also had an alarming discovery. They had watched the confrontation with the djinn. Their devices went into a frenzy as it picked up waves of psychic energy.

_Johan and Jazzlyn_, the person thought of their given names before smirking, _two that would be ones to be cautious of._

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

_Kirei: Done!_

_Johan: Yep though I had almost no part in this one_

_Jazzlyn: Blah blah blah, you had the last two chapters! Don't complain!_

_Johan: I can-Kirei what are you doing?_

_Kirei: I was thinking of making an actual theme song for the series!_

_Jazzlyn and Johan: Oh holy Ra!_

_Kirei: What? It's not going to be bad…Maybe you could do a 'creature of the day' like Rua and Ruka did in Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds._

_Both: *makes an X with their arms* Absolutely not._

_Kirei: You're mean! Anyway…onto a preview!_

_**Preview:**_

Scene shows the Osiris dorms in the morning. Jazzlyn's eating with Miku and Kyoko when Orion come by and promptly insults the girls, leading to him getting a glaring contest with Jazz.

_Jazzlyn: Johan, I think there's something weird about the Undine boys._

_Johan: Are you sure that it's not just you not liking Orion?_

Scene switches to where Johan returns a book to Artemis and he simply walks off.

_Jazzlyn: C'mon you're saying that you don't think your roommate is hiding something?_

_Johan: Well…_

It's nighttime at North Academia and the twins just arrive back from another mission and end up in a secluded area where they happen upon both Artemis and Orion with guns.

_Johan: Okay, something's definitely up. We'll just have see what secrets their hiding…_

_Johan and Jazzlyn: Next time! Discovering the Truth! _


	7. Mission 6: Suspicious Roommates

_Kirei: Heya! How's it been?_

_Johan: And she's saying this at ungodly hours of the morning._

_Jazzlyn: That's what she gets for drinking a whole 20+ oz of soda at ten at night!_

_Kirei: Sugar…_

_Jazzlyn and Johan: Since she's doomed to crash later, we'll do the disclaimer: Kirei doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh GX nor all her OC but she does own her plots._

_**Reviewers Response:**_

_Oak-chan:_Jazzlyn: _Thank ya, thank ya!_

_Chrisandersenyuki:__ I guess you will find out who's the figure eventually~_

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

**(Third Person POV)**

It was morning in the Osiris dorms. The red-clad students gathered in their minute cafeteria which consisted of a room with multiple wooden tables and stiff matching chairs. Their food consisted of dry eggs, burned meats, cereal, rice, and some semi-warm oatmeal, a far-cry from the meals the Ra and Obelisk students received.

The dorm comprised mainly of guys, which made their eyes wander towards their 'personal' rarities. Their gaze fixated on three people at a back table as they examined their breakfast. It shouldn't be too weird since they were people right? But, the people were abnormal to the Osiris students for one reason; they were girls!

The said girls however paid no heed as they focused on a entirely different matter: How to make their food more edible.

**(Jazzlyn's POV)**

I suggested, "I say just sip OJ with it and it'll be fine."

"Maybe we should invest in a microwave?" the blue eyes of my friend, Miku, warily scrutinized the heap of yellow and brown rolls that were to be considered to be eggs and sausages.

Kyoko tucked the black locks that strayed to her face behind her ear as she poked the food with her fork, "I think we'd have a better chance if the students were the ones cooking. I'm sure the cooks wouldn't mind since they are already trying to make this crap."

A grimace graced my face, "As much as I would like that, I believe a certain xxx would poison us."

As if cued, a voice called, "I heard my name. Missing me already, Andersen?"

"As much as I miss watching that STD slideshow, Undine," I seethed while my roommate smirked and sat across from us, "You know, it must suck to be you."

Repressing my urge to roll my eyes, I regrettably asked, "And why would that be?"

"Most girls test well enough to be in Obelisk or if not they pay to be in it or Ra. But you guys being here must mean you're both dumb and poor," he pointed out.

Red eyes narrowed in anger, "And what's your excuse? 'Cause a rock is smarter than you and you're in here too."

"And you don't have a pretty face to sweet talk with so you must be dumb, poor, _and_ grotesque," Miku chided. I said nothing. Why? Because I was currently engaged in a glaring contest between me and him. My eyes bore into his bright blue eyes. Suddenly he snatched my last piece of bacon and gulped it down. I, caught by surprise, gaped, "Teme!"

"Sorry! I cannot understand Japanese!" Orion called as he ducked the notebook I threw. He laughed as I chucked three well-aimed school supplies and rushed forward to trip him while he was preoccupied with the projectiles.

Surprisingly, he caught my leg sweep. The he pulled a matrix and bent back to evade the stuff I threw. Afterwards, the black haired guy threw my leg back to where I would've been sent tumbling if I weren't trained. Instead I landed on my feet in a squatting position just as he exited out the door. I stared at the door my roommate disappeared through. My eyes narrowed. There's no way for anyone normal to dodge that move.

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

**(Classroom/ Johan's POV)**

I was preparing to head for my next class as Sakura approached, "Where're you heading, Johan?"

"Ah, um…that's a good question," I wondered, a complete blank as to the next class I was going to. Scooping up my books, Sakura's dichromatic eyes glimpsed downward. Her fingers grasped a book, "Masquerade of Deceit? I didn't know that you were into these kinds of books."

I blinked. I'm not. She handed me the book. I know I've seen this book somewhere before…Then I remembered my aloof roommate reading the book in the living room once. My eyes scanned the mass of red, yellow, and blue and noticed him. I called, "Artemis!"

Either he didn't hear me or he was ignoring me as he continued to trek to his next class. I sighed, as I turned to her, "Sorry, Sakura, I guess I accidentally took Artemis' book by mistake this morning. I have to give it back."

"I understand, see you at lunch." she nodded as she collected her belongings while I dashed down the stairs. I called for Artemis as I reached the door but he was already disappearing around one of the corners. That hall led to…the math wing! A sigh escaped my lips as I opted for a shortcut through the vents.

Dropping from an obscured side hall of the math wing, I turned out of it right before the younger Undine. I faked exhaustion as I huffed, "Finally…caught up…I think I took you book by mistake. Sorry."

His grayish-blue eyes examined the book before tucking it under his arm. The two minute bell rand as he began to walk away. I knew that my roommate wasn't the social type but still…the silence was sorta weird.

Suddenly a cat sized green worm caterpillar hybrid appeared before me in a transparent form, "Johan, you still need to get to class."

"Oh crap!" I called, remembering my class, biology, was across the school. I took to a sprint, "Thank you, Stinger Worm!"

I ran off, completely unaware of the icy eyes that saw my duel spirit.

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

**(Art Studio/Third Person POV)**

Both Johan and Jazzlyn met in Ms. Capella's studio at lunch. They were to be assigned a small mission off campus. While our teacher created arrangements of transportation, the twins were left to chat, "I can't stand him! Undine is asking to get pummeled!"

"Calm down, Jazz. It's just bacon," her sibling chided. Jazz crossed her arms, "It's not just the bacon. Johan, he put a bug in the shower while I was in it. He erased my essay that took two _hours_ to write. He put my backpack in the guy's locker room. It's not just about the stupid bacon, that guy is suspicious! You know the fake out trick that I like?"

"The triple projection sweep?"

"Yeah, Undine dodged it perfectly. That along with that personality just scream abnormal," Johan had to admit, the triple knife sweep wasn't the most advanced move in the book but it was one that took some kind of fighting skill to recognize and evade. The assailant (Jazz in this case) throws three projectiles. One to the left, the right, and one at the person. The person can't move left, right, or stay stationary unless they intend to get hit. The only other option was to duck or lean back, putting them off balance. Anyone with experience could regain their balance and dodge (or counter) the attack.

Johan shrugged, "Still think you're overreacting."

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

**(Obelisk Boy's Dorm/Third Person POV)**

In a shut room, two boys were inside. One was lying on the soft bed that was offered while the other was at a desk typing on a computer. The one on the bed, turned on his side towards the desk. His disheveled long black hair strayed into his eyes before he complained, "Artemis, I think you're just being paranoid. No one has found out our true identities. There's no way they sent out assassins. And even if they did, I doubt it would be Andersen."

Meanwhile his brother continued tapping at keys, "You don't find it weird that they happen to be in the same room as us? Or that they disappear in the middle of the night? Or even leave campus for days at a time?"

The older brother thought, "So? We do that all the-Oh, now I get it. So what'd you find?"

Artemis' dull eyes examined the screen, "Only the basics. Name, age, grade, and birthplace in all databases we have. Anything else has an insane combination of passwords and firewalls. They are something but definitely not normal."

"Well then," a wild smile graced the Osiris student's face, "maybe we need to ask about it."

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

**(North Academia)**

"Hey, Mr. Taylor, here is fine!" Jazzlyn called over the whirl of a helicopter. The pilot gave a thumbs-up while the two teenagers unfastened themselves. Slipping on their goggles and lacing on their boards, the two slid open the opening to the helicopter.

On a count of three the twins dove out doing a couple flips before spinning where their snowboards would touch the ground first. The two shredded downhill. They let out a cry of delight before hushing themselves as they snowboarded all the to the outskirts of the North Academia campus. The teens took off their helmets and board, packing the headgear in their backpacks and tucking their snowboards under their arms.

"That was a relatively easy mission," Johan commented, while Jazz nodded. A noise suddenly silenced them both. They stiffened and listened as the wind rustled by. The sound repeated. A gunshot. Moving quickly and silently the twins moved across the snow dusted ground. They reached the non-frozen part of their campus as they followed the firing of rounds, "What the hell? I thought we weren't allowed weapons on campus."

"Maybe its some adults?" the boy offered. This gained him an incredulous expression, "Yeah, I didn't buy it either."

Suddenly, the noises ceased, indicating to the Andersen twins to move. They ducked into the bushes, remaining quiet. The siblings listened as footsteps wandered around where they hid. Peeking through some leaves the twins looked at the source of the gunshots. The moon was revealed from the clouds. It's light highlighted the figures. Both Andersens mouth hung agape at the sight.

It was their roommates, Artemis and Orion.

Harshly, Jazzlyn whispered to her brother, "Still think I'm overreacting?"

A bullet forced the siblings to separate from the bushes and into the open. Johan answered, just as harshly, as he glared at his sister, "And now wasn't the time for that."

"Well," a voice interrupted the duo, "I guess you're really not normal, Andersen. That's a relief. That means I don't have to hold back."

The Undine twins both held two guns in their hands, poised to shoot. Simultaneous bullets were fired and were met with snowboards. Johan flung his board high while threw hers low. Their opponents jumped or ducked to avoid the objects. The PAD unattached their backpacks and held up their wrists, "WATCH, I need…pistol/staff!"

In a flash of light the green-eyed guy grasped two handguns while his double held a metallic stick that extended into a pole. Jazzlyn remarked, "Good, then I guess I don't have to either."

More bullets rang as the teens held their ground. Johan blocked with his guns while Jazzlyn whirled her staff to deflect the bullets. Both Orion and Artemis distanced themselves from the duo as they reloaded. Johan used his two pistols to fire at the duo, while Jazzlyn looped around to strike. She swung with her staff at her roommate, which he blocked with his handgun, "Heh, should've known, no one normal can steal my stuff."

"I could same the same to you," blue bore into green, "because I never thought an idiot like you could be some assassin."

"Look who's talking."

Artemis was fending off Johan before he called, "Will you two quit flirting?"

The Andersen twins gaped, "He talked!"

The black-haired guy's ice blue bang fell into his eye, "You act as if I'm mute. Of course I can talk. Now I need to ask, are you after us?"

All of the four students backed up and were in a circle as they defended themselves with their weapons. Suddenly they rushed forward and met in the middle. Guns and blade the temples of the teenagers. They were frozen in place. That is until…

"Hahahahaha!"

Two pairs of brows were raised as the Undine brothers stared quizzically at the source of the laughter. Their opponents were laughing! Were they deranged? Finally, Johan said as he lowered his guns, "Oh man, looks like we got in the biggest-"

"-and most lethal-" his sister added. He nodded, "misunderstanding ever! It was fun, but in all honesty neither of us are after you. In fact we don't actually know why we _would_ be after you!"

This only confused the two boys further as the older brother stood protectively in front of his sibling, "But you drew against us."

Jazzlyn rolled her eyes as she returned her staff to its original form, "Hey, you shot at us first! That was self-defense."

"I don't believe you. You two just happening to be in our rooms and you're…trained in some fighting…" the paler of the Undine twins stated. The Andersens looked to each other as if they could figure an idea just by glancing at each other. Then they felt the prodding from their hips. Their decks. Johan suggested, "Then how about we settle this the North Academia way? You and Orion against me and Jazz. You win, we tell you anything you want. We win, you tell us anything we want. Either way, our secrets are safe and…we get to duel someone new. What do you say?"

"Deal."

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

They stood around the pathway between the Osiris dorms and the rest of the campus. All of the duelists shuffled their decks before they placed them in their slots. They held up their arms as their duel disks activated.

"Don't be too mad when we win," the Osiris student told his opponents. Johan laughed, "Sorry, but I don't think you should take us so lightly."

Four voices simultaneously called, "Duel!"

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

_Oh so now Johan and Jazzlyn are in a duel with their dorm mates, Orion and Artemis. So now the question is, who will win and whose secrets will be exposed?_

Preview:

The duel has already begun and both Johan and Jazzlyn have their monsters destroyed.

_Jazzlyn: Ah! I can't believe this! How are we going to win with a deck like Artemis'? It's a pain to have those negative effects killing us!_

_Johan: And it doesn't help that Orion is blocking him like crazy! It's like they are completely in sync._

_Jazzlyn: So what are we gonna do?_

_Johan: What we do best! Withstand it all and fight back!_


	8. Mission 7: Duel Under Moonlight

_Kirei: Hey ya!_

_Johan: Don't 'Hey ya' everyone. Where have you been?_

_Kirei: Uh, updating Family Ties? Hello, do you not pay attention when I update?_

_Jazzlyn: Not really._

_Kirei: Wow, for a bunch of detectives you miss some same details. Anyway! DISCLAIMER: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh GX nor all the OC used however I do own the plot._

_**Reviewers Response:**_

Judaiteito: Uh, sure? Just click 'sign up' and create an account. And whenever you want to upload a story, you go to 'publish', then 'document manager'. Upload the document on the computer then go to publish, and 'new story'. Comply with the terms and agreements and BAM! You can create a story.

Chrisandersenyuki: Jazzlyn: Well not really. Johan: Especially if it's a duel involved!

Oak-chan: Jazzlyn: Hahahaha! I gotta use that one oh Ore- Orion: I swear to whatever deity there is you call me that, I'll kill you Andersen! Jazzlyn: Bring it, xxxxx!

Charathepyroqueen: Johan: Then I guess we need to get to it then.

Yukiko Shiroryuu: Kirei: Oh my gosh! You killed her! You killed her with cafeteria food!

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

"Ladies first," Orion called to the only girl in the duel. Jazzlyn deadpanned, "Sweet but chivalry is dead. You go first."

The guy shrugged, "Fine but just know it's your funeral, Andersen. Draw! I play Don Zaloog in ATK mode."

A humanoid monster appeared. He appeared like an army veteran with an eye patch on his face. _Don Zaloog: ATK: 1400 DEF: 1500 LV: 4_, "I set one card. Turn end. We'll take you down, and find just what's up with you two. Let me guess, mercenaries in training?"

"Hehe, That's pretty harsh," Johan chuckled, "after all, we've been trained for something better than that. It's my turn, draw! I play Stinger Worm in ATK mode!"

_Stinger Worm: ATK: 800 DEF: 1000 LV: 1 _Artemis gaped, "That's the card from before…"

The green worm-caterpillar creature tilted his head slightly as he looked at the teen, "Ah, so you're the person from before. It's nice to meet you."

Now Johan was confused, "Eh? Stinger, you met him?"

"He was watching you when you were late for class today. For you not to notice, that's bad practice, Johan," the said boy scratched his head, "Mah, mah, I guess that is bad. I set two cards. Turn end."

"Draw," Artemis called, "I play Clear Cube in DEF mode. I set one card. Turn end."

A machine appeared within a giant crystal on Artemis' side of the field. _Clear Cube: ATK: 0 DEF: 0 LV: 1. _Jazzlyn drew, "I play Demon of Humility in DEF mode. I set one card. Turn end."

Demon of Humility appeared as a frail boy with blue hair dressed in all black with wings that matched his hair. _Demon of Humility: ATK: 1200 DEF: 1600 LV: 3_

**Orion and Artemis: 8000**

**Johan and Jazzlyn: 8000**

"Humility? That's one trait you don't have, Jazzlyn," he said, using her first name.

"Of course not. I'm the one that makes my opponents humble."

He smirked before he called, "Draw! I summon Dark Grepher in ATK mode!"

Dark Grepher was a grey-skinned humanoid with lavender-white hair. His armor appeared like a monster while a purple sword gleamed maliciously. _Dark Grepher: ATK: 1700 DEF: 1600 LV: 4, _"And I activate his effect. I can discard one dark monster from my hand to take a dark monster from my deck to the graveyard. Now, Don Zaloog, attack Stinger Worm!"

"Be strong, 'kay?" Johan called to his duel monster. The worm nodded before a slash went through the monster and shattered it, "I activate Stinger Worm's effect. If it was destroyed in the battle, then I can draw one card. If it's an insect card, then you take the battle damage too and if not, I still take damage."

The teen trusted his deck as he drew. He held it up to his opponents, "I drew Needle Honey Bee. You take the battle damage."

"I activate Don Zaloog's ability. Whenever it inflicts damage, I can either make you discard one card in your hand or the top two cards of your deck. And choose for you to discard your top two cards." the gesture was to Jazzlyn as she complied and pulled her two cards and let them be sucked into her graveyard, "Turn end."

**Orion and Artemis: 7400**

**Johan and Jazzlyn: 7400**

"Hehe, guess we're in for quite a night, huh Jazz?" the older of the two mused. She waved him off, "Maybe, we'll have to see."

"My go, draw!" Johan called, "Come forth, Rose Papillion!" A butterfly appeared only it's wings were constructed of red rose petals in ATK mode. _Rose Papillion: ATK: 1400 DEF: 800 LV: 3_, "Battle! Attack Clear Cube with Rose Gale!"

The machine confined within the crystal stood no chance again the whirlwind and was destroyed, "Clear Cube's special effect activates. When it removed from the field, another one takes its place."

"You're kidding…" the bluenette sighed, "well then I put a card face down and end my turn."

"My turn, draw!" Artemis called, then asked, slightly annoyed, "What are you two looking at?"

Johan laughed sheepishly, "To be honest, this is the most words I've ever heard from you! I mean even in our rooms you didn't talk. I really did think you _couldn't _talk."

"Well not that you know I can, you'll regret I ever spoke, I summon Clear Rage Golem!" _Clear Rage Golem: ATK: 1600 DEF: 1800 LV: 4,_ "Next I play, Clear World! In exchange for 500 life points each standby phase, each player takes a certain effect for the attribute of their monsters. My clear monsters have no attribute so they are unaffected. However, everyone else, has an effect. Orion has a dark monster and cannot attack since he has two monsters on the field. Johan, since Rose Papillion is on the field you have to pay 500 life points to you use a spell card and with Demon of Humility as a light attribute, Jazzlyn, you have to play with your hand shown."

The area around them turned dark with floating crystals placed around the duelists. Jazzlyn marveled, "Whoa, all that from one field card? Talk about awesome!"

"I know! I can't believe it either," Johan agreed with his sibling, "It by itself is a terrifying combination!"

The Undine twins made a deduction: the Andersens _must_ be deranged. They weren't even considering how they were in duel, and _complimenting _their opponents' cards. Wasn't that a sign of them being crazy? "It only gets better from here. Clear Rage Golem attack Demon of Humility with Clear Cruelty!"

Clear Rage Golem phased through the gem-like container and charged. The humanoid duel monster covered itself with it's wings before it was crushed by the monster, "And when Clear Rage Golem successfully attacks you receive 300 points of damage for every card in your hand. You have four, that's 1200 points of damage."

Jazzlyn shrugged as she declared, "I also activate my monster's ability. Whenever it is destroyed, in battle, the attacking monster is also destroyed! So say bye-bye to your Clear Rage Golem!"

"Turn end."

**Orion and Artemis: 7400**

**Johan and Jazzlyn: 6200**

"Ara, now _that _just sucked," Jazzlyn complained as she drew, "Well then, I guess I'll just summon Demon of Temperance in ATK mode!"

The summoned monster was actually two monsters together. They were human-fiend hybrids with joined hands. Both had a gold cup in their hands and they kept pouring liquid from one cup to the other. _Demon of Temperance: ATK: 1900 DEF: 2000 LV: 4, _"Battle! Demon of Temperance attack Dark Grepher with Untainted Harmony!"

Both of the monsters pointed their cups at the gray-skinned creature. Pure water shot from the finery and pierced the monster, destroying it. Johan then called, "Trap activate, Infection! This lets me control a monster that attacked until the End Phase and I choose Demon of Temperance."

Now both of the twins boys were wondering while Jazzlyn just smiled, "What are you planning, Andersen?"

"Glad you asked! I play the spell card Controlled Substance. A monster I control an attack for a second time! Go Demon of Temperance, attack Don Zaloog!" Johan cried. The monsters complied, blasting the man with water. His twin declared, "I set one card. Turn end!"

**Orion and Artemis: 6700**

**Johan and Jazzlyn: 6200**

The older of the Undine twins drew before he announced, "You just sealed your fate with that last move! First I use the spell card The Warrior Returning Alive to add Don Zaloog back to my hand. And since I now have exactly three dark monsters in my graveyard, I can special summon a card. Rise Dark Armed Dragon!"

The ground seemed to split open as a being clawed it's way to the surface. Clad in metallic armor a gray beast emerged. It's eyes were a burning orange shade. _Dark Armed Dragon: ATK: 2800 DEF: 1000 LV: 7._ Orion pointed, "Battle! Dark Armed Dragon attacks Rose Papillion with Blades of Darkness!"

The sharpened claws of the beast extended as it slashed. The rose-winged butterfly could only let out a squeak before it was shattered into pieces. Johan braced against the rush of wind, "Turn end."

**Orion and Artemis: 6700**

**Johan and Jazzlyn: 4800**

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have found Team Andersen's weak link!" Jazzlyn pretended she was an announcer. Her brother retorted, "Says the girl that got damage from having cards."

"Shut up and draw."

Johan took his turn as he cried, "I summon Needle Honey Bee in ATK mode."

Then he had an option. He could have Honey attack Dark Armed Dragon so that it lost ATK and DEF points. But then that would leave him open to attack for Artemis' attack. He didn't know what it was but knew it was something that would put him and Jazz in a pinch. Finally he sighed and said, "I set one card. Turn end."

"Draw," Artemis called. Their life points were deduced due to Clear World's effect before he began, "I play trap card, Substitute. This card allows me release a monster on the field to special summon a 'clear' monster from my deck. I summon Clear Phantom in ATK mode!"

Clear Phantom was a black and red creature with a single glowing eye. It appeared like a living spinal cord with ribs. _Clear Phantom: ATK: 1200 DEF: 800 LV: 3_, "Clear Phantom, attack Demon of Temperance!"

"What are you crazy?" Jazzlyn called, "Demon of Temperance's got more ATK points than your Phantom!"

Nonetheless the tendril of Clear Phantom charged at the gemini monsters. They held the cups up in defense and the tendril bounced back and impaled the duel monster in the center of it's ribcage where an eye was. It exploded then the Obelisk student revealed, "Whenever a monster does battle with Clear Phantom, that card is destroyed and the top 3 cards of your deck go to the graveyard."

Green eyes widened as the teen was continuing with his turn, "And now I use spell card Clear Sacrifice. When I play this card I reveal one 'clear' card in my hand. In this case, I choose Clear Vicious Knight! Clear Sacrifice can let me remove from play any number of cards it takes to tribute summon it. I remove both of my Clear Cubes in order to bring him out. Arise Clear Vicious Knight!"

Clear Vicious Knight seemed like some mutant warrior. It was green with various points jutting out of it's body. _Clear Vicious Dragon: ATK: 2300 DEF: 1100 LV: 7_. For once a ghost of a smile appeared on the younger Undine's face, "Clear Vicious Knight, direct attack! Clear Malicious Stream!"

The knight phased through the crystal and lunged at his opponent. The solid vision pushed Jazzlyn off-balance for a minute, "Crap, that was one I didn't see coming…"

"Turn end."

**Orion and Artemis: 5500**

**Johan and Jazzlyn: 4800**

"May I have your attention please?" it was Johan's time to mock his sister, "Will the real weak link please draw their card? I repeat. Will the real weak link draw their card?"

Jazzlyn grimaced, "Oh ha ha, you're _so_ funny. Draw! I activate the spell card Divine Intervention. This lets me take one card from my deck and summon it. I choose…Demon of the Calm!

A ball emerged on the field. However it unfurled to reveal a cream colored fox with some of it's fur tipped the color of fire. It had multiple tails that totaled nine. _Demon of the Calm: ATK: 2500 DEF: 2500 LV: 7, _"Her effect is cool cause she can destroy one spell card on the turn she was summoned. And I'm sure you guess which one I want to get rid of…"

Suddenly, Clear World disappeared in a flash of light, returning the field back to the surroundings of the North Academia campus, "Then I play Card of Destruction. All of us discard our hand and draw the same amount of cards we had."

All the duelists complied. Then when they had their new cards, a grin developed on Johan's face as he faced his sister, "And we can finally begin our counterattack with this, awake from your slumber, Demon of Good Will."

This card appeared like a jet black wolf. However it had a tail and wings like a dragon. It's eyes were completely blue, "He has a special ability to cancel the my opponents' Battle Phase every third turn I have. Now I activate the trap card-"

A voice interrupted them, "Who's out there? It's past curfew."

"Damn it's the security," Johan realized, "We gotta get out of here before we get busted."

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

**(Somewhere Near the Osiris Dorms)**

"So…what happens in the even of cancellation?" the older sibling of the Undine brothers asked. Jazzlyn pondered for a minute before replying, "We both spill."

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

**(Somewhere Near the Obelisk Dorms)**

"Why should we? Orion and I were going to win." Artemis reasoned. That was when Johan showed his hand.

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

Blue eyes widened, "My god…you would've won? Well that's a blow to my ego. So I guess this is fair…what do you want to know?"

The demon deck user said, "Who you really are."

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

"Who we really are? Orion and Artemis are our real names as for who we are in terms of jobs…" the guy hesitated for a moment, "we're assassins."

Johan jaw dropped, "Assassins? Wait, don't tell me by chance…you're the Lunar Death Twins…?"

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

"How do you know that name?"

An anime vein appeared on his roommate's head, "How can I not know it? Do you know how many times on missions people have mistaken me and my brother for you all?"

Black locks strayed into his eye as he looked at her, "They mistook you, for us?"

Jazzlyn nodded, "I mean they say they don't know anything about the Lunar Death Twins because they're just _that_ efficient. So that means they have no idea what you look like, only that they are twins."

The girl put her hands behind her head as she walked when Orion questioned, "Okay, my turn, who are you?"

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

"Jazz and I?" Johan scratched his cheek and gave a sheepish laugh, "How _do _we explain it…? Um…you know stuff from legends and myths like you know…yetis, Loch Ness monster, and all that right?"

Slowly, Artemis nodded, "What does that have to do with you?"

The bluenette wondered if he would be believed, "Me and Jazz are what are called paranormal anomaly detectives, or PAD. We solve cases dealing with the 'unreal' or 'mythical'. I saw the look I was getting, "I know it sounds weird but it's absolutely true."

"It's odd enough that I've heard the term before," he normally stoic teenager admitted, "which brings up my next question, why are you here?"

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

Jazzlyn chuckled, "On a case of course. We were sent here to investigate the disappearance of students around here. Though we might stick around here even after we solve that…"

"Why's that?"

"Because…when you grow up in the strange, it's strange to be normal, you know?" she told him, "To be here and feel like an average student…it's so weird…and yet…sorta fun. I wouldn't give up my job for it but it's still cool to not have to be one thing all the time. What about you? Why are you here?"

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

"…I guess…it's for the same reason as you, Johan," the clear deck user thought, "who wants to be an assassin all day? It gets tiring."

"I guess you're right." Johan laughed, as they were in front of their rooms, "Goodnight, Artemis."

The guy nodded, "Good night."

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

_Kirei: Done~!_

_Jazzlyn: No fair! You didn't let us make our awesome comeback!_

_Johan: Yeah!_

_Kirei: Hey, hey, hey get over it! It's late and sleep is a must now._

_Johan: You mean you just got lazy at the end._

_Kirei: *throws pillow at him* Shut up…I'm trying to sleep…_


	9. Mission 8: A Lurking Figure

_Kirei: Yo minna! It's another episode of North Academia!_

_Johan: My god, someone stop her! She's planning an opening and ending for this chapter!_

_Jazzlyn: Wha-?_

_Kirei: Yep but you can't stop me! Hahahaha! Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh GX nor all the OC!_

_**Reviewers Response:**_

_Chrisandersenyuki:__ Do you mean the cards he would've had in his hand? Or if you mean his whole deck, don't worry he'll have other duels._

_Oak-chan:__ Maybe it's not surprising because he's the main character of North Academia? _Jazzlyn: _Then what am I, chopped liver?_ Kirei: _What's that taste like? And yeah, I know Johan and Jazz just love being mistaken as assassins._

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

**Opening 1: Ordinary Day (goes with the TV size of Boys and Girls by LM.C (2****nd**** opening of Katkeyo Hitman Reborn!)**

_*electronic music plays before it fades to electric guitar*_

The WATCH glows in sync with the music as it zooms out. Once the music fizzled, green eyes opened.

"_Just another day! Living just another day! Just an ordinary day!" *guitar plays*_

The WATCH projects two different things. Jazzlyn catches a pair of trench knives while Johan grabs a handgun. From her sleeve the girl produces a smoke bomb that she uses at the same time the bluenette fires a shot at the screen.

(Title Credit: North Academia: Daily Life Arc)

"_I wake up every day. Never can complain with status quo as I'm heading out."_

Johan leaves out his dorm, putting on his vest with his backpack in hand. He's walking outside when he notices a malicious looking demon behind some students. Johan quickly summons and uses his guns to dispatch it.

"_While most people want fame, or fortune, or power, I only wish for a simple life."_

Jazzlyn jumps off the stairs of her dorm, heading towards the main building when she sees an orb of light floating about. She quickly grabs it and hides it behind her back as Mr. Hobbs comes by.

"_Stop and smell the roses, ah what a great philosophy! The world seems so much clearer that way!_

Both of the PAD are in class as students. Johan looking bored while Hobbs is harping at Jazz. Suddenly, their WATCH light up and they excuse themselves from class

"_Who says you can't win being slow and steady? Because that way you repeat less mistakes."_

As soon as they close the door the outlines of monsters close in making the screen black. The blackness is pierced with holes and slices. The partners come out of the mess in their PAD outfits.

"_What's wrong with ordinary? Can't you take it easy for once?"_

A shadow of a person is smiling as they watch the events on a liquid puddle. In the background there are silhouettes of duel monsters

"_Hey, I'm not complaining because I am content with myself!"_

A shoulder lands on Johan's shoulder. He whips around, back in his school uniform, with Jazzlyn gesturing for him to join their awaiting friends.

"_Just another day! Living just another day! Just an ordinary day!"_

The twins face up to where their friends are. They laugh as they head inside. Jazzlyn is the last to enter as she turns back and gives a wink before shutting the door.

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

Both Andersens were in their PAD base underneath the school grounds. They were currently accessing the strange graffiti found around campus. Books and screens were opened to various pages of weird symbols. Jazzlyn finally called triumphantly, "I finally found the origins of the second seal! It took hours but it turns our it's a cross between an Irish incantation and an ancient Celtic spell circle. Combined, according to the databases would make an increase of heat."

"So we have a heating circle and the progress of a quake spell circle. Two very bad combinations," Johan chided. "And we couldn't stop the heat spell since it was only around the perimeter of the Osiris dorms while the quake one was being constructed around the main building and Obelisk dorms. But the person only works at night—after curfew."

Jazzlyn reorganized the books she used, "That's the gist of it. It'll take another few days to finish it so we can just crash for tonight and then surprise them tomorrow night."

Johan was shutting down the computers as he stifled a yawn, "Guess you're right. Night Jazz."

She was already headed for the pathway towards her dorm. With a stretch she answered, "Night."

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

Johan had finished all his nightly rituals. His roommates were asleep—though Artemis had briefly checked on him. Probably because of the sudden sounds at 12:30 in the morning. He had shut off his lights and prepared to crawl into bed when he heard a sound.

_SHHHH! CLAK! CLAK! CLAK! CLAK! SHHH!_

It sounded like hissing and a marble rolling around in a metal container. Or…a spray can! The teenager peeked out of his window to see a figure spraying paint onto the ground. It was the graffitier he and Jazz were going to go after tomorrow. He considered just ignoring the sound and try and sleep. But the thought didn't sit well with the student. At last he decided to grab his WATCH, "WATCH, I need stun gun."

The device glowed in recognition before it produced his weapon. With the athletic skill he was trained to have, he descended from his window to the ground safely. He landed quietly in a bunch of bushes as he observed the person. They had on a long trench coat with gloves and boots and fedora obscured their face. Johan aimed to take a shot while the figure was turned the opposite way.

However, once he fired, the bullet smashed against some invisible force. He silently cursed whatever it was as he moved from his position so he could try again. All his guns were silenced, so the person probably won't know where the bullet had come from but the bluenette never thought it bad to be cautious. Once he was settled under another bush, the boy tried again. And it failed. Again.

Now the person stopped their work and was actively looking around for their attacker. Then they held out their hand and five yellow floating orbs emerged from their fingertips. The orbs expanded and flew in his direction. Johan dove out of their way and avoided being sucked into…whatever greenery went once those balls consumed them and shrunk until they were no more. It left only holes and round cut outs of trees and shrubs.

He was now in the open in front of the graffiti painter who was armed with magic. Johan prepared to block against another move with the arsenal of spells he knew. But then the figure began to flee. Johan dashed after them as he tried with his stun gun one more time. The bullet was crushed against the unseen wall again. All he could do now was try and catch up with his attacker. The PAD picked up the pace to close the gap between him and the culprit.

Suddenly, the person turned to face Johan and winked out of sight. The Scandinavian wondered, "What the-?"

He rushed to where the figure disappeared and looked wildly. They weren't right near the scene but they couldn't have transported far. He pulled out a slip of paper with an incantation. Johan held it in front of himself before putting his free hand in a seal, "Shuku do sho."

The paper crumpled and transformed into a bird. Its tail was like wisps of turquoise flowing downward. Its wings were a small span that was a white with green tips. A green gem was on the center of its head. The shikigami (1) nodded at its master before it took to the sky. Johan created a new seal and concentrated.

His shikigami scouted the sky. Its vigilant eyes checked around with its summoner using it to see through its eyes. Then it picked up on the glowing blue outline of a shadow, "Merde! _(French: Sh*t!)_"

Johan tried to sever the link to the bird but it was too late. His shikigami gave a cry before it was caught in a binding made of light. Green eyes widened as the link with his spiritual medium was forcibly broken. The bird had been captured and it itself was an extension of the PAD's own soul. Stealing the shikigami was like ripping a soul in half—which was painful. And the shock from it took its toll as the bluenette lost consciousness.

The figure that Johan had been pursuing approached…

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

Jazzlyn rushed out of the Osiris dorms. She had to skip breakfast—maybe that was a good thing—to answer Mrs. Stevenson's call. It was concerning her brother. Again.

"Damn it Johan," she cursed as she ran/glided across the pathway. "I should calling you 'princess' because I'm always stuck saving you're a** all the time!"

She slid across the hall with her wet boot. Jazzlyn reached and slid past the nurse's office. And into a wall. She collided ungracefully with it, "Ow~"

From the office, the orange-haired nurse sweat dropped as fingerless gloved hands reached the doorway. Jazz popped up, embarrassed. "Hi, Mrs. Stevenson. You called about my…_dear_ brother?"

"Whoa, you weren't kidding, Natalie, they do look alike." A different voice commented. She looked to see a man. His hair was dark brown that appeared tussled and bright emerald green eyes that seemed to twinkle in the light. He had a lean and yet muscular physique as he faced her. Jazzlyn sized him up and assumed he was what normal girls called a 'hottie'. However, she paid no mind to his looks more so than why he was here.

Black eyes noticed the young PAD examining the man, "Hello Jazzlyn, this is Mr. Hayes. He teaches chemistry and anatomy here."

"Oh~ no wonder I don't recognize him. I don't have his classes." She realized and came over to shake his hand, "Nice to meet you Mr. Hayes."

The brunette smiled as he shook the teen's hand. "Charmed, though I wish we met under a better setting."

_Around test tubes and skeletons?_ Jazzlyn mentally wondered before addressing her fellow Echo member, "Mrs. Stevenson, what's Johan in here for this time? Sometimes I swear he's got a delicate body." _Or he's just danger prone._

She gestured towards the teacher as he cleared his throat, "Well, you see I was returning from hanging out with Mr. Wang in the Ra dorms when I came upon this person in a trench coat and hat—a truly suspicious character in my opinion—and he was carrying your brother, Johan, yes? I asked what they were doing and the person pulled out a gun."

"A gun?" Jazzlyn repeated. It was possible for the person to own their own gun but for Johan to lose to them? She didn't mean to sound like she was bragging but next to her dad, Johan was the best marksman she knew. Losing wasn't possible in terms of a gun battle. She asked, "So what did you do Mr. Hayes?"

"Me? I put my hands up and tried to reason with them. When I inched close enough to him I jumped at them, making them drop Johan. I wrestled with them and then they kicked me off and ran. It was strange and I thought about chasing after that—that—blast! There are no words for such a person—"

The nurse put a comforting hand on his shoulder, "—but I decided that I needed to you sibling for medical care so here we are."

"Amazing…" Jazzlyn said. A guy that stuck his neck out for student? Especially one that he didn't know? That's a dedicated teacher.

The bell rung. The brunette sighed, "I'm afraid I must take my leave. Thank you for the tea, Natalie. It was refreshing for a stressful night."

"Don't overwork yourself, Rafael."

He nodded and left. As soon as his footsteps faded the younger sibling demanded, "What happened _before _that?"

"I don't exactly know," she admitted when she examined a chart then a computer, "Physically he's just fine with the exception of a bump on the head. What's the problem is spiritual. In short part of his soul is missing."

"Will he be alright for now without all of it?"

"I suppose. He'll be really disoriented and won't recall some things about his daily life but should be able to function well. But, that doesn't mean that we can just let this go. I don't know nor do I want to find out the long term effects of going without a full soul is." She said with the utmost seriousness. The teenage girl immediately saluted, "You have my word, I'll solve this."

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

It was afterschool and Jazzlyn was exploring his room. She thought aloud, "So last night Johan was out there. So he was drug out there? No wait…if that was the case someone would've heard. Or at least his assassin roommate would've…"

She held her sibling's WATCH that she received from the school nurse. She looked at his inventory log. It reported that he used his stun gun last night but it was never returned. Jazzlyn thought aloud, "So he went out…but why?"

Her sights turned to the window, which was open where she noticed the unfinished markings. The mystery graffitier! From the view she could see the spell circle halted right in front of the window, "So he went after the guy by himself…then what happened?"

The door opened to reveal the said teen. He looked around as if it were unfamiliar, "Was this…the right one?"

The Osiris student whipped around, "Johan!" she hugged him, "Hey you alright?"

Green eyes seemed to register who she was. When they acknowledged her, Johan finally said, "I guess. A little dizzy."

Dizzy was an understatement. He appeared so mixed up, it was a wonder he could've found his room. Maybe he didn't. But there was one thing Jazzlyn hoped he _had_ remembered, "Johan, you gotta tell me, what happened last night."

His brow furrowed in confusion as he repeated, "Last night?" A nod answered him. "I…I'm not sure. All I remember was flying around in the sky and a bright light."

"Flying? Johan are you high?" she questioned. That probably wasn't the smartest thing to tell a person half-out of their mind. He actually seemed to ponder the question. The girl sweat dropped, "Johan, I was kidding."

"You were?"

Jazzlyn groaned,_ Whoever did this…I think I'm going to kill them!_

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

The younger was staking out in her sibling's room. She hid from the teachers when they came by for lights out and helped her brother with his nightly routine. She had to; Johan could barely understand using toothpaste! Finally, once he was asleep she could focus on watching for her target.

Then she saw them. The figure. The PAD observed in silence for a few minutes. Once she saw fit, descended the building.

"So," the person abruptly stopped upon hearing the voice. The trench coat hidden person turned to find Jazzlyn standing her arms crossed, "Vandalism _and_ theft? Well aren't you the perfect role model?"

"A student out past curfew, aren't you a teacher's pet?" the person, a man, readily snapped. Jazzlyn shrugged, "Suppose I am and as the teacher's pet, I'll deal with you and return the part of my brother's soul you stole. WATCH, I need tonfa (2)."

It glowed in acknowledgement before it decompressed her desired weapon. She held a fighting stance while the male chuckled, "To the point. I suppose it's not so off when they say twins are the opposite in their styles."

Her eyes narrowed before she charged at him. A force field met her punch, "Ow!"

The guy seemed pleased as he immediately grabbed her arm. He wrenched it behind her back, forcing her to drop her tonfa. "But you are just as foolish."

Jazzlyn struggled against him but two problems 1) she was physically weaker and 2) she was literally smaller than the guy. So she opted when he was closer to wham her head against her assailant's chin, making him release he. She picked up her tonfa and jumped back, "Okay so fighting up close—bad idea. WATCH return tonfa."

She could only rely on her magic ability as she stood against the man. He laughed again, which was starting to infuriate the teen. The figure opened its coat to reveal what he had hidden under it. In light chains was a pretty white bird that she recognized, "That is-!"

"Your sibling's shikigami isn't it?" he taunted as he backed away from Jazzlyn. Her eyes widened when she noticed where he was inching towards. North Academia, like other academies, was located in the strangest areas. North just happened to be the one on a plateau. Though the expanse was the schoolyard was descent it wasn't hard to drop something right off the edge. "And wouldn't it be a shame if it met an unfortunate end? I hear that it's wields take pain equivalent to its end."

That did it. Jazzlyn screwed all the caution and ran to beat the man to the cliff side. However, he had a gap between her and him. The cliff was so close and the shikigami couldn't escape from its bindings despite the fight it put up. The bird was dangling over the chasm as Jazzlyn got closer.

Her legs froze without warning. They didn't budge as she tried to order them to move. There was nothing physically holding her but a sudden white smile was seen from the trench coat wearing man, "Cold feet, darling?"

"Let me go and we'll see how 'darling' my fists against your face is," she threatened. This only made the smile widen. The shikigami was dropped. Jazzlyn gaped before trying even harder to move, _Damn it! Move. Move!_

The ground broke slightly, releasing the hold on her. She dashed right past the graffiti painter and almost made it to the edge of the plateau when an invisible rope coiled around her wrist. By now the shikigami was lost in a haze, falling closer to its demise. Jazzlyn had no time to be toyed with, "You! Stay out of my way!"

A surge of energy pulsed through the rope and attacked the man. He stumbled back onto his back, allowing the teenage girl the chance to freefall. The man sat up, impressed, "That energy was the same as last time. Definitely, worth the troublesome task of making those spell circle."

The figure stood as he overlooked the abyss below, "Miss Andersen, I hope to see your psychic potential again."

Wind was intense and Jazzlyn made her way down. Her blue locks slapped her face while her eyes scanned for any trace for Johan's shikigami, "Damn it, the things I do for love (3)! Hey, Shiki! You around? Say—er squawk something!"

A cry answered her cries. She followed the sound to see the bird plummeting downward. Jazzlyn sped her fall to grasp the bird, "Gotcha! WATCH, activate grappling hook!"

The 'lifeline in can', as Jazzlyn jokingly called it, deployed a hook with rope upwards. It clung to the top of the plateau, stopping her fall. The rope tightened as it stopped. There was a POP sound as she reached a stop. She didn't even suppress the scream that followed the dislocation of her arm, "Merde! Merde! That hurts!"

Her WATCH slowly retracted the rope, pulling the PAD up. By the time she reached the top, the figure had disappeared and strangely so did all the markings. She sunk to her knees as she, painfully, put her arm back into place. The bluenette cradled the bird, which she noticed that the light was gone. Jazzlyn was confused. Everything…it was almost as if the man had never been there at all. The thought made her shudder but then she glanced back at the shikigami and commented, "C'mon, let's get you back. Johan's already enough of an idiot without losing you."

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

**Ending 1: Photograph (goes to the TV size version of Sobakasu (Samurai X/Rurouni Kenshin opening 1)**

_*guitar solo* _

Both Johan and Jazzlyn are opening a metallic case. Their faces light up as they reach inside. And they pull out…a camera.

"_I open up a scrapbook as I lay my room, and only I come to realize"_

They hold a camera in front of themselves and take a photo. It shows up with Johan giving a goofy grin while his twin makes a peace sign.

"_Just how much I've matured. So this is growing up? My gosh, so fast!"_

Both Andersens nod to each other before going their separate ways with their cameras.

"_I see photos of myself when I was young. Showing of all my crazy exploits. The good times and the bad. They're all funny looking back."_

From there everything is seen through the Andersen kids' lenses. Kyoko comes into view as she's about bat. The picture shows her slugging ball into the sky.

"_Fashions, fears, and triumphs…they're all enshrined within these pages...recollections of days past! Hey!"_

Then it shifts to Sakura, who was reading looks up. The camera clicks with a photo of her giving a timid smile with a transparent dragon on her shoulder.

"_Even if the photograph shall yellow and age before fading away…"_

The camera moves a little before it focusing on the Undine twins having a snack. The picture catches them seeing the camera as Orion takes a bite of a candy bar while Artemis is drinking a soda.

"_All the memories remain engraved in my heart! Where I can always relive those days."_

Lien and La'Rae are caught from behind. The shutter goes off. Both girls put a streak of paint against the lens (and thus the photo).

"_Ah that precious time! But even so, isn't it fun to share these photos with you?"_

Then it has the camera lurking as it finds Leon and Kayla working a computer. A flash goes off and Kayla tries covering her face while Leon gives a two finger salute.

_After all, you're in the picture too. See, you laughing with me just like before! Just like our photograph…Oh! Oooooh!"_

Finally, all the North Academia gang are gathering for a finally picture. Johan and Jazzlyn set it up and they hurry to get in place. The camera takes the photo with both twins tripping and their friends either holding them up or seeming slightly surprised.

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

_Kirei: So? So?_

_Johan: Well…_

_Kirei: Yeah?_

_Jazzlyn: Let's see…_

_Kirei: Yes? Yes?_

_Johan and Jazzlyn: We're fine with it._

_Kirei: Yay! *does happy dance* I finally made a North Academia opening and ending! I just wanted to try it out to see how you all would like it. Oh, the music isn't mine but the lyrics are!_

_Authoress' Notes:_

Shikigami: this is a 'demon' that usually manifests itself as an animal that serves its summoner. It is used by in Japanese magic practice. Its form and how long it lasts is all dependent on the master's personality and the strength of their magic. In this case, how the shikigami was formed (including the words) came from the series _Tokyo Babylon_ by CLAMP.

Tonfa: These are usually wielded in pairs that are meant for close quarters combat. They are basically wooden (or metal) pole that have a handle that the wielder holds onto. The pole protects the wielders forearm and with momentum a tonfa can be a dangerous weapon. One of the most notable characters (I know at least) that uses this weapon is Hibari Kyouya from Katekyo Hitman Reborn.

The things I do for love: This is one of my favorite quotes from a character of a TV show I used to watch when I was a kid: Courage the Cowardly Dog.


	10. Mission 9: The Test of Courage

_Kirei: We meet again all. Hey ya readers!_

_Johan: Don't be so happy when you've been missing for who knows how long._

_Kirei: A month?_

_Jazzlyn: Well, at least she updated Family Ties._

_Johan: Uh huh, DISCLAIMER: Kirei does not own Yu-Gi-Oh GX nor all the OC. Plot is all hers though._

_**Reviewers Response:**_

_eltoro:__ Thank you. I try to provide something interesting when I can._

_Oak-chan:__ Kirei: Interesting is the goal. Johan: Of course we're okay. Jazzlyn: Why the hell wouldn't we be?_

_chrisandersenyuki:__ Johan: Of course. Everyone takes pleasure in my pain, my embarrassment, and failures. What's wrong with you all?_

_Luving Randomness:__ Johan: Hello, said 'idiot' here! Anyone care?_

**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**

"God, I'm so freakin' bored!" Miku cried. "I like North and all, but there's nothing to do!"

"I'm sorry to break it to you, but we are on top of a plateau," Jazzlyn pointed out as she sipped a bit of her tea. Johan suggested, "How 'bout a duel then?"

The yellow-clad girl known as La'Rae chided, "Can't have a duel without a deck."

"Huh?" the PAD checked his deck holster on his hip to find it empty. Green eyes met yellow before a pack of cards broke his line of sights. "Gimme back my deck!"

La'Rae teased in a singsong tone, "Only if you can catch me~"

She jumped from the table with Johan following suit and tripping on his face. His shoelaces were tied together. The bluenette quickly tried to unlace the knot, "Damn you La'Rae..."

Once his shoe strings were free, the teen dashed after the thief of his deck. The wind blew, blowing the white strands of hair and Kyoko tucked it behind her ear with her long nails. "That is true but the must be something."

Of the quietest, Jazzlyn's roommate removed his headphones, "You could always do a test of courage. It'll kill time."

"A test of courage?" all the students repeated. Sakura commented, "I did that with my friends and go busted for it when we came home."

Johan plopped back onto the bench with his deck safely in his hand, "A test of courage? You mean that challenge they do in animes where you go to a creepy place and investigate it?"

"The very same." Leon confirmed. "North doesn't have many places that are creepy except..."

Purple eyes widened in interest, "Except? What? Out with it man!"

"The Snowfall Memorial. Its where they honor missing or dead students."

"Then the Snowfall Memorial it is!" Miku cried, excited for something to do. Both of the Andersen twins called, "Wait."

The older of the siblings reasoned, "We should set a time. And bring some supplies."

Sakura asked, "What supplies? All we need is a flashlight right?"

"Johan's right. We're in the mountains. Anything could happen." Artemis flatly agreed. "Probably need a lighter or something."

Lien chided, "Lighters are illegal on school grounds!"

"So are pets but you know a few students are keeping a couple puppies and kitties under wraps," Orion pointed out. Jazzlyn said, "Whatever. Just bring what you think you need. Let's meet outside of the Osiris dorms about an hour and a half after curfew."

**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**

**(Outside Osiris Dorms-20:30)**

Jazzlyn huffed, white clouds floated from her mouth as she pulled down her black cap further down her ears. Checking her WATCH, it was almost time and only the Osiris students were present. She thought aloud, "Did everyone chicken out?"

"You wish, Jazz." La'Rae commented as she and the missing part of the group, "Unlike you all, we have to sneak out and walk all the way out here."

"That's what you get for being studious," the Osiris assassin quipped as he rubbed his gloved hands together as he turned to his roommate, "And since you seem to know so much, lead the way."

Leon 'che'd before heading down a pathway to the east of campus. Their boots crunched on the snow that had fallen. Their path led them to a bridge. It was sturdy but still suspicious. A rusted railing was on either side of the bridge's end. Lien commented as she looked at the gorge that was located below the bridge, "Wow Leon, I didn't know you hated us to the point you want to kill us."

"I've gone over this a few times when I was exploring, I swear it's safe. Just don't look down." the brunette replied as he began trekking across the bridge to prove his point. Everyone started to cross over the bridge.

The wind whistled ominously once the North Academia students stepped onto the other side of the bridge. The clearing was snow-capped like the rest of the mountainous environment. However, there was a layer of fog surrounding the area with moans of the mountains greeting them. Faintly could an outline of a cobblestone walkway leading further into the mountain. Johan teased, "Anyone scared can turn back now."

No one dared to turn back. No one wanted to admit they were spooked as they tread forward. Leon followed the snow-covered trail towards a lone stone surrounded by flags. Flapping in the nightly breeze were the worn and faded colors. The stone appeared chiseled from the walls of the landscape. Smoothed by time and the weather, the stone appeared simple with writings on it, though this was obscured by the figure standing in front of it.

It was a woman. Her hair was a pure black that contrasted with the snow. Her back was too them, although it was apparent she was underdressed for the cold. She was dressed in a simple white kimono that flailed around her feet to reveal her wooden getas.

Both of the PAD were suspicious of the lady. They backed ever so slightly from the rest of the group to figure it out, "There's no way anyone would survive a night up here wearing that?"

"A specter?" Jazzlyn suggested. Johan shook his head, "I don't think so...its something that we should know but I just can't put my finger on it...Japanese dress...snow..."

While the twins were figuring out the mystery, the figure turned to the students, "Who are you? You're not him...where..."

Her skin was pale but once the teens saw her gray eyes, they were paralyzed. Neither Jazzlyn nor Johan were looking since they were either glancing at their WATCH or in the distance. But once they heard the silence from their friends they both realized, "A yuki-onna (1)."

The yuki-onna appeared angry as she demanded, "Where is he? You're not him!"

She prepared to exhale-releasing an icy death. The Andersen twins then slid across the slick ground. Their feet leg swept the lady's legs from under her. She sailed into the air, breaking her gaze with the other teens. They gave a high-five to their sibling, "Strike!"

"Why you..." the kimono-garbed lady growled as her attention focused on her assailants. She blew ice, which made the detectives duck and roll out of the way. Rolling onto their feet, Johan and Jazzlyn escaped behind the snow woman. They dashed towards their friends, "Think we need to cut this trip short."

Not questioning why-I mean a woman with breath made of ice was reason enough-the students fled back towards the bridge. Before they could step onto the structure, a cloud slithered past their feet and reformed into the yuki-onna. This time her breath seemed certain to hit its mark since they could get away fast enough. She huffed, only for the air to meet the two-toned blue coat that was thrown at her face. She pulled the now frozen garment from her face, only to see the last of the Academia students escape into the mountains.

The pale-complexioned woman merely stared as storm clouds formed around the spire. A torrent of snow began to strike the surroundings. A smile graced her lips. She wouldn't go after them. She didn't have to. This was her domain and all the children could do prolong their deaths.

**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**

"What a way to die, frozen to death by a psychotic stranger!" Sakura cried as they ran further from their attacker. Kayla, normally timid, gained a voice due to the adrenaline and fear, "Am I the only one that was freaking out that she was making frostbite from her mouth?"

Kyoko quipped, "Not so much as what you were doing, Jazz, Johan."

"Can we save questions for when we find someplace to hide?" Artemis irritably asked. Her glasses were fogging but Kayla pointed out, "There! A cave!"

"Aren't there you know...animals in there?" Miku asked. Johan answered, "I think I'd rather them than that lady!"

They headed into the cave and to their fortune it was empty. The students were catching their breath when Sakura noticed, "Hey, where's Jazzlyn?"

"I knew she was slow but this is ridiculous," Jazzlyn's roommate (I'll let you guess which) joked. A gloved hand grabbed the edge of the cave as Jazzlyn huffed, "Go screw yourself, Undine..."

She coughed, breathless before limping into the room. All the students gasped. Johan called, "Jazz, your leg's frozen!"

"No shit Sherlock," she remarked as she used the wall for support. The teenager plopped down out of the winds' way. Agitated, Jazzlyn demanded, "What the hell are ya looking at?"

"Your leg."

"You arms. Where is your coat?" Kayla worriedly asked.

"1) I used it so we could escape and 2) keep staring, I'm going to kill you." the PAD warned before falling onto her back, too exhausted to actually follow through with the threat. Her breathing was hard and it worried Johan. Sure Jazzlyn wasn't the best runner and hated it but it shouldn't have her so breathless with this 15 minute run. That and she was really irritated-more than normal.

He crawled on his knees to his sister, "Jazz."

She looked at him as his fist came close to her face. it stopped short of a punch but Jazzlyn didn't seem to notice this as she just blinked a few seconds after he stopped. That worried the boy even further. If anyone dared tried a move, even if it was fake, hiss sibling would react to it like she was in a fight. If she were okay.

He felt her head and noticed her shivering, "Dannazione! (Italian: Dammit!)"

Though not everyone understood what he said, they could tell it wasn't good. Leon wondered, "What?"

"Jazz has hypothermia," Johan explained as he examined her skin. "and from the looks of it...it's pretty serious."

"But we can't get back to the school with that thing out there." La'Rae pointed out.

"That's why we have to wait it out." the older Andersen twin crossed his arms going into serious mode. "That lady didn't look like she was going to chase us but even without her coming after us, the weather's getting worse. Odds are we'll have to wait until the morning till anyone even realizes we're gone. We just have to wait until then."

"Andersen, can't you jus-" Artemis elbowed his brother before he told their secret. "What he means is, can't you just call someone?"

"Already tried," Leon interjected. "No cell reception. Looks like we're trapped."

**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**

_Kirei: Yep. I left you all on a cliffhanger!_

_Jazzlyn: You're a sadist, you know that?_

_Kirei: Yep! That's what makes me so great as a writer! But look on the bright side._

_Jazzlyn: What bright side?_

_Kirei: Johan's not the one that needs to be saved._

_Jazzlyn: *slides daggers between fingers*_

_Kirei: Now Jazz there's no need to-*runs* Help!_

_Authoress' Notes:_

1) Yuki-onna: Literally a 'snow woman'. It is from Japanese descent. The yuki-onna is normally depicted as a pale woman with jet black hair and red lips. She's known to be both sides of snow: gentle and loving along with ruthless and unforgiving. There have been many interpretations of a yuki-onna though I went with one that fit the situation-icy breath. A yuki-onna is also known for being able to paralyze a person with fear when they look at her straight in the eyes (thus why no one moved when she looked at them).

_So now it's the waiting game for the North Academia gang. But will Jazzlyn hold out until then or will the yuki-onna see to it that they all freeze to death? Find out next time!_


	11. Mission 10: Snowbound

_Kirei: Yo minna! Hey, Johan, where's Jazz?_

_Johan: I think she said something like torching your manga._

_Kirei : My what? Jazzlyn! _

_Johan: And since they are both away, I guess I'll do the disclaimer: Kirei doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh GX nor all the OC but she does own the plot._

_**Reviewers Response:**_

_Luving Randomness:_Jazzlyn: _Of course I'll survive! I'm in Family Ties aren't I? _Johan: _W ho __will__ keep her warm? Hm…I guess she's just gonna freeze! _Jazzlyn: _Johan you jerk! I risk my life and yet you-!_

_Chrisandersenyuki:_Johan: _We're getting to that…_

_Oak-chan:_Orion: _Woman you have problems. _Johan: _Hey, hey, hey this is my chapter to do something! _Leon: _Sure, blame me for what the damn author wrote. _Kirei: _You're so hurtful Leo!_

_Yukiko Shiroryuu:_Johan: _Miku, you __were__ the one that complained about being bored. If we just had a duel instead none of this- _Jazzlyn: _Dammit, shut up Johan!_

**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**

"We're what?" Lien asked. "I can't believe this! We're going to die of frostbite!"

"You!" Orion jeered at his male roommate while all the students chatted worriedly amongst themselves, "This is all your freakin' fault! You really are trying to kill us!""You think if I were really trying that I'd be here freezing my ass off?" the teen replied. "How the hell was I supposed to know what we were going to see that ice witch? And what about you? You didn't want to come so you could've easily stayed in the dorm, moron."

"Repeat that again," the assassin dared. A louder voice called, "All of you shut up!"

It immediately fell silent as they turned to the source of the sound. Johan. His happy-go-lucky attitude was gone and replaced with a professional calm that he had learned, "For God's sake, pointing fingers gets us nowhere and also…We. Will. Not. Die. We will be fine as long as we are smart with what we have and keep our cool. It's just like a duel, that's the only way you win. With that said, dump out all the stuff you brought."

The teenagers dumped all the stuff they either had in a bag or their pockets. It wasn't much. Only a handful of snacks, flashlights, two multi-tool knives, and a lighter. The PAD also had a pair of combat knives in his boots, and didn't doubt that the two assassins also had some weapons hidden in their clothes but wasn't about to ask about created a pit and started a fire. With the embers fed by the lint, tags, hair, and even trash, all the students were slightly more comfortable. They huddled around the fire, keeping themselves warm. Jazzlyn leaned against her sibling's side with them sharing body heat. She was asleep with no intent of being up anytime soon. Everyone sorta looked with the bluenette noticing. He asked, "What?"

"It's just that…you and Jazz look like, I don't know, a pair of siblings that don't want to kill each other." Kyoko commented. The bluenette laughed, "We have our moments…" he leaned back against the cave wall, "I think we all just failed this test of courage. All of us went running after seeing that lady."

There were some giggles for his half-hearted joke, "No kidding! I never saw you run so fast, Kayla. I thought you couldn't run."

"The circumstance is different when you're running from a psychopath!" the girl wiped off the fog on her glasses. They all laughed though the mood was still tense. Silence threatened to consume them when Artemis finally spoke again, "Leon, how did you choose this place? I never heard of it on North."

The said guy leaned his chin on his knees, "That's because they only tell you about it if you have a reason to be here."

His main concern at this moment was supposed to be the yuki-onna but it was an opportunity to find out a little more about his school. Johan could tell this subject didn't sit comfortably with his sister's roommate but he thought if he knew a little more about the place, maybe he'd get a hint about some place the damn student killer would hide, "Someone you know's on that stone?"

"My brother." Leon admitted.

Johan sympathized but pressed, "Don't mind me asking but what happened?"

Blue eyes flashed with some emotion. Hurt? Terror? It was gone too fast for the bluenette register. The brunette glanced at the attentive faces of his friends, "No one exactly knows. He went missing for a day or two and comes back talking weirdly and leaving scraps of random writings around…Then he's gone again and leaves his deck to me…haven't seen him since."

"Sounds like he committed suicide." the older of the Lunar Death twins chided. Leon immediately flared, "He didn't commit suicide! That's not something he'd do! He just…disappeared."

Orion's brash comment earned him a whack on the head from all the girls in the group, "Ow! What the hell was that for?"

Johan started to wish he didn't ask. It sounded like Leon's older brother might've been a victim like Olivia. He only felt sicker about confronting the person. How the hell could anyone blatantly kill anyone and leave their families unknown of their fate?

Now the gunman felt annoyed and needed to refocus himself on getting his friends out. He shook his head before grabbing his flashlight. Miku asked, "Where are you going?"

"Um…do I really have to say…?" Johan asked, pretending to feel embarrassed about the question. All the girls were red, while the guys tried to suppress their snickering. Leon volunteered on steadying Jazzlyn until he returned. Johan walked down into the cave-far enough that he couldn't hear his friends nor see the fire. He continued until he was certain they were out of earshot. Pulling up his sleeve to reveal his WATCH, Johan made a call to one of his few contacts on North Academia, his floor advisor, Mr. Brooks.

The South African born male appeared on screen haggard and sleep-riddled, "Andersen? Do you know what time it is?"

"Unfortunately, I've been in such pressing matters, I forgot to check," Johan replied, feeling irritated without sleep. "Mr. Brooks, me and my friends are stuck on Snowfall Memorial with a yuki-onna keeping us in hiding."

His advisor was full alert at the details, "A yuki-onna?" he used his WATCH while keeping Johan on call and pulling up the GPS for his location, "My god, Andersen, how did you get there?"

"Teenagers do the stupidest things," the bluenette offered half-jokingly.

"I'll listen to your excuses about it later. But you said, you and your friends? Where's the other Andersen?" Mr. Brooks took charge, as most of the adult PAD did. Johan reported, "Yes me and my seven friends. Jazzlyn is also with us but she was injured and suffering hypothermia while protecting them from the yuki-onna."

Silence enveloped for a moment, "Andersen, I shall get the other agents I can to dispense of the yuki-onna-"

"That is unnecessary, sir. I can take care of the yuki-onna." Johan interrupted. Mr. Brooks seemed to weigh the validity of the youth's statement, "But you understand your duties at this moment, correct?"

"Civilians are the top priority," Johan recited, "I swear to you, Mr. Brooks, I will see to it that my friends are safe."

The man nodded, "I heard you're good on your word, so I'll leave you to it. Be careful and don't do anything stupid, Johan."

He nodded before ending the transmission. He looked down at his WATCH, "Now to do some 'exploring'."

"Jeez, Johan, we thought you got killed by animals or at got your xxx frozen somewhere," La'Rae joked. The PAD commented, "At least I know that you guys really care about me. Look, I found some stuff when I went exploring."

In his arms were bundles of canned goods and some blankets (all of which were actually from Johan's WATCH), "I guess some people went camping and didn't bother to take their stuff with them. Isn't that lucky for us?"

Orion commented, "A little too lucky?" A glare from green eyes warned him to shut up. "Anyway, this could us over a bit longer, right?"

None of the students argued as they started prying the cans open. They surely not going to leave anytime soon. Soon contented and warmer, the teens began to feel the stain of their lack of sleep. Once everyone let out a yawn, their unofficial leader declared, "We should get some sleep and take turns being lookout. I'll go first."

No one disagreed as they settled around the fire, and fell asleep. Leaving only Johan awake. He awaited before he wondered aloud, "You just won't give me a break will you? I'm sure we could've easily used your knives as can openers."

The Lunar Death twins sat up, uncomfortable acting so casual in a dangerous situation, "And let you all kill yourselves? That's one clean up job I don't want to do. So, Andersen, I'm sure that wasn't just some circus freak on the run, so what is she?"

"A yuki-onna, a snow woman," Johan reported. "there's a team that supposed to deal with her, but I don't plan on waiting that long."

Artemis questioned, "What are you planning to do?"

Johan pulled on his gloves as he walked out into the snowstorm with goofy grin, "Talking, hopefully."

"He's an idiot."

"Talented but an idiot nonetheless," they sighed in sync and could only await their friend's return.

**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**

The Johan had to admit that it would be difficult for most people to see with the snow billowing about, but with his enhanced sight, he wasn't fazed by it. He knew that defeating anything supernatural would take time. Even just gathering a couple people to come here took time. But…Johan realized he had no time to waste. His friends couldn't last in this storm long. Already he heard sneezing and noticed shivers. No one should be out in cold with negative degrees. And his sister wouldn't be in good shape if she didn't get treatment soon.

He had to act. The yuki-onna was standing in front of the memorial. She placed her hand on the stone, her eyes were softened with an sullen-almost heartbroken look. It was like she was waiting for someone. In a soft voice she answered, "Where are you, Yoshiya-kun? You aren't…"

Johan could've easily dealt with the snow woman with the surprise he had. However…he felt that was dirty and cheap. His job was to deal with the supernatural. It didn't always have to include violence, did it? He decided to talk, "Are you waiting for him? This 'Yoshiya' guy?"

"You-!" the yuki-onna appeared surprised that he had snuck up on her. Johan put his hands up to show he was defenseless, "And when me and my friends came along, we ruined your night, huh?"

"U-U-Urusai (1)!" she cried, icicles rising with outburst. The teenager flipped out of the way and used the icicles to jump off of. He stood on top of the icicle, "Oh, so it wasn't a friendship thing, was it?"

The wind blew with a fury making him roll off the ice and tumble flat on his back. The kimono-garbed lady inhaled causing the bluenette to roll back to avoid her subzero breath. He insisted, "Hey, I wasn't being offensive, honest. I know that yuki-onna, like you, are fearsome, but I also heard you can be really nice so…please," Johan gave a bow. "at least allow my friends and sister to leave."

His words and actions struck a chord with the mystical being. Her gray eyes appeared to gaze into some unknown beyond Johan, "Those words sound exactly like…his…"

"_Onegai (_2)_, yuki-onna-sama, let my friends go!" a teenager dressed in an dark brown coat begged. "If you let them go, you can do what you want with me. Just…let them go."_

**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**

While the yuki-onna had her hissy fit the ground trembled slightly, waking the students hiding in the cave, "What was that?"

Then Kyoko looked around and asked, "Where's Johan?"

They whipped around to see that they companion was indeed absent. Everyone turned to the only people awake before them. Since they had become 'in' on the Andersen twins' secret, both Artemis and Orion found just the difficulty in keeping it. So in exchange for a new gun, which Johan brawled over, was given to them to keep quiet, "I think he went back into the caves. Said something about-"

"Too much information!" the girls shouted. The fires were burning low so they added to it. The flames reflected in their eyes. Sakura accidentally thought aloud, "I think he's hiding something."

Lien wondered, "Who Johan?"

"The Andersen siblings in general." Sakura stated. Her dichromatic eyes glanced back anxiously one of the said siblings still resting. "They are strange either way, but I think there's something else. I mean I feel like they have something hide or know more than they let on. Like how Jazzlyn is supposed to be an Osiris, no offense to you guys," she gestured to the other Osiris, "but she's smart as hell. She's got higher standings than other Obelisk. Or like this trip, Johan acted like he knew what to do at this moment. Better yet, they knew how to take on that lady. No amount of instinct could make you do that."

"Now that you mention it…" Miku pondered, "they are always are in and out of class and sometimes have these excuses to disappear for days! I thought they were seriously flighty."

"Sure it's not just them being…I don't know…addicts?" Aretmis face palmed at the stupidity of his brother's attempt to cover for them. Kayla's eyes widened behind her glasses, "They're drug addicts?"

Everyone sweat dropped. La'Rae put an hand on her roommate's shoulder, "No, I'm certain they're not. They'd stink if they did."

"Either way," Leon spoke. "Both of them have a secret. And it must be important for them not to tell us. Let's trust they'll tell us later."

**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**

"…he's too kind for his own good…" the jutting spikes of ice began to melt back into the snowy surface. She sank to her knees. Her hand touched the stone, "…I joked how it would be the end for him…but never wished it would have come to that."

Johan was confused but could tell that she was hurt by something. He stepped closer to see the names engraved on smoothed surface. By now his 'opponent' was too lost in thought to bother him. She examined the names. He ran his finger along the stone, reading all the names with only a few names he looked for. He saw Olivia Schmidt, the name of spirit he met the first day of classes at North. Then he also found the name 'Yoshiya Mitsukageru', whom Johan assumed was the name of the yuki-onna's friend/lover (whichever!). However, he failed to find any that held the surname 'Torrington'.

"Um…I know I'm not the guy you're hoping for," the boy tried being nice. "but according to this…and your expression, he's not alive anymore-"

"-he is!" she screeched, making a ice shard graze the guy's cheek. "I'm a spirit, if he was dead, he would've met me! He's alive! Yoshiya's alive…"

Ignoring the frost nip spreading on his cut, Johan kneeled onto her level, "That makes sense…sorry, if I upset you. If you've been waiting for him for a while, then why not look for him yourself?"

"Myself? But…I have no idea how to…" she admitted. Then she looked embarrassed like a child who was proven wrong. Johan brushed himself off and offered his hand to her, "C'mon I can help you so long as my friends come out fine. Deal?"

"Agreed." she took his hand.

**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**

"Achoo!" Jazzlyn sneezed for probably the hundredth time that day. She bounced back from the hypothermia without a hitch. However, she got a cold from being out in the cold. "Damn, how much longer do I have to be holed up here? This is worse than detention!"

The door opened as a familiar face popped in, "Calm down, princess."

A pillow hit Jazzlyn's twin in the face, "Like you're one to talk. Shall we recap how many times I've saved you this year?"

Johan brought the pillow to her and coaxed her to relax. Unwillingly she obliged and gazed at the ceiling, "So you enrolled a yuki-onna at the school? How smart is that?"

"Not very, she's smart. She may not know dueling as much but she does get teenagers. Apparently the guy she's looking for, Yoshiya, told her all about that…among other things…" suddenly Johan was flushed. His sister was curious, "among other things? What do you mean?"

The red spread deeper onto his face, "Nothing."

The door opened and there was a girl with long black hair wrapped in braids and flowing down to her knees. In an Obelisk uniform and holding bright gray eyes, she glomped Johan, "Good morning, Johan-kun~"

"She seems normal," Jazzlyn noted. The yuki-onna in disguise turned and gaped, "Oh my, this must be Jazzlyn-chan. She's just like Johan-kun, only cuter!" She seemed be very…upbeat so Jazzlyn opted to ignore the 'cute' comment and the hug she received. Then she felt a squeeze and suddenly Jazzlyn turned a beet red and gave an uppercut to the girl. She fell on the ground with swirls in her eyes, "What was that for?"

"Who the hell wouldn't do that someone who groped them?" the bluenette cried, indignantly. Johan face palmed, "Looks like we have another crazy addition…"

**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**

_Kirei: Done!_

_Johan: I swear Kirei, everything you see does not influence you._

_Kirei: Does not._

_Johan: Oh yeah? You made Jazzlyn sick because you're sick. Plus you made Yuki a perv just because you finished watching an anime with a character that does that!_

_Kirei: So? I'm the writer! _

_Authoress' Notes:_

_1) Urusai: Shut up_

_2) Onegai: Please._


	12. Mission 11: Switcharoo

**Kirei: My gosh it feels like it has been ages since I update this!**

**Johan: That's because it was.**

**Kirei: Besides the point!**

**Johan: *gloom lines* she's blowing that off fast…**

**Kirei: Anyway! I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh GX nor all the OC but the plot is mine!**

**Reviewers Response:**

Chrisandersenyuki: _Jazzlyn: Funny my freakin'- _Johan: _No need to be vulgar, Jazz. _Jazzlyn: _How about you let her squeeze that manhood of yours then come back to me? _Johan: _No thanks!_

_Oak-chan:_Orion: _Hey, I thought it was a good cover up. _Artemis: _For a five-year-old. _Orion: _Arty! _Artemis: _My mistake. A two-year-old. _Orion: _You're a demon in disguise, you know that?_

_Luving Randomness:_Jazzlyn and Johan: _We are only 15! How the hell could we keep that secret perfectly?_

**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**

**(Johan's POV (Wow, I have done that in a while)**

Somehow I've always had this sixth sense. Not like exactly clairvoyance but that 'feeling in your gut' thing. It always told me when something bad was going to happen to me. And I can honestly tell you, it has never failed. NOT. EVER.

My alarm went off at 6:30 am on the dot. Its shrill cry met my ears and my hand fumbled across the top of the radio alarm clock. Who was the goddamn genius that decided to make the off button so small? After pushing nearly every button on the top of the alarm, the clock fell silent. I rubbed my eyes and swung my legs off the side.

Since it never failed, I tended to try and brace myself for whatever misfortune that would befall me. However, I thought it was too early and probably too soon to have that 'sixth sense' kick in. So why was it bugging me? Not a clue.

I grabbed my few toiletries and shuffled out to the hallway. It was still dark since I tended to get up earlier than my roommates. My eye sight came in handy as I didn't bump into anything. Once I reached the bathroom, I shut the door and dropped my stuff on the closed toilet seat. Then I flipped on the lights, making me flinch. I wiped at my eyes before they made contact with the mirror. Once they did only sound came from my mouth.

"!"

Shortly after I heard a bump and a shuffling feet. Rory was on the other side, "Andersen, I knew you were quite a lady's man but I could imagine you the type to bring them back to the dorm."

Luckily he could not see my face because it was a bright red. I stuttered, "I-It's not like that…"

To my relief the voice of my sensible roommate came from behind the door, "Johan, is there someone in there with you?"

"No, it's just my voice cracking," I lied. "it gets like that when I get sick."

"Illness? Then I shall request for your germs to be kept to thyself," the royal-complexed boy told me. "Until the fanfare bids my awakening, I bid you both adieu."

Even from my position in the bathroom, I rolled my eyes. Rory's footsteps retreated and his door shut. I noticed that there was still a shadow beneath the door. The shadow's owner commented, "I believe a boy's voice is lower when he is sick."

"Not the time," I answered, opening the door.

Artemis glanced at me before turning away. His face was tinged with red. I sorta knew why and at the same time was clueless. I dared ask, "What?"

"Shirt," was all he said before putting his back to my, thoroughly embarrassed. Normally, I'd be pleased. Hello? I got the permanent poker-faced Undine twin to show some emotion! And red in the face! That is an achievement yet I still hadn't known _how_ I did so. Then I glanced down at my pajamas. Think of the color of a ruby. Make it deeper in hue…and that was the color of my face.

It did not take anther word for me to sprint to my room and slam the door.

**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**

**(Third Person POV)**

WHO-P!

"Holy shit!" Jazzlyn cried, startled by the sound that she fell off her bed-her _loft _bed. She landed with an ungraceful thud! Laughter mixed with the siren-like sound. Cranky and pissed Jazzlyn threw the cup of tea she had left on the nightstand the night before and threw it at the source of the laughter-her assassin roomie. The cold tea jolted the teenager from his lying position on the bed, "Cold!"

Orion's head made contact with the bottom of the bunk above him hard. However, that force went through the mattress and sheets and met the unfortunate brunette that was asleep until the collision. It hit Leon square in the nose. He grabbed it and in surprising accent he cried, "Bloody hell ya div _(UK English: The hell you idiot)_!"

"It didn't hurt that bad!"

"The blooming hell it didn't!" Leon called hanging his head over his bedside "Ya pillock _(UK: You stupid person)_!"

Orion called to the teen, "Speak English man!"

"I AM speaking English ya bloody arse!" Their blue eyes met in a glaring contest. Seriously, you can see the sparks coming from them! Meanwhile, their only female companion crawled toward her PDA and answered the phone, "There better be a good goddamn reason to call at…" she glanced at the clock before she looked at the screen to her caller "7 in the fucking morning…"

"Good morning to you too, princess," Artemis flatly said on the line. Then he heard the content going on in the background, "Is a Brit and a Romanian going at it?"

"Try my roommates busy cursing each other out," Jazzlyn deadpanned. "now if you don't have a reason to be calling…"

The younger twin informed, "Something is wrong with your brother."

"Again?" she muttered under her breath. She opted to think of a meeting place where prying eyes wouldn't accidentally intrude, "Uh, then tell him meet me under the gym's bleachers. Speaking of which, why isn't he talking to me himself?"

Scarlet faintly graced his face, "Just get over there." With that he abruptly ended the call. An anime vein bulged on her head as she clenched the PDA, "Jeez, I swear every time he talks it's something rude. I think I liked him better mute."

She grabbed her usual clothes and her uniform jacket and stole the bathroom first. Jazzlyn was putting her hair up as she was leaving out her dorm, "Wait up!"

She turned to see her daily annoyance, "I have business to attend to, Undine. I don't have time for your antics."

"You mean pixie hunting?" he asked. "I'm just coming along since you both get into the strangest predicaments."

"That's Johan, not me," Jazzlyn pointed out. Orion snickered, "Really? Cause I seem to recall you walking around in leotard an-"

"Shaddup!"

**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**

**(Johan's POV)**

I tried to stick close to the shadows since I was embarrassed beyond measure. Talking to the other shadow underneath the bleachers, I called, "You know you don't need stick around."

"Odds are the idiot I call a brother is with her so thus being here is best," the assassin answered.

"So what's gotten you now, dear brother of mine?" a voice echoed in the gymnasium. "Maybe a hickey from a werewolf? Or possibly a pixie was too clingy to ya?" she entered underneath the metallic seats. "Seriously, I don't know whether to call you storebror or lille bror."

"Hey, that's not fair, Jazz," I whined from my spot. I could see her standing there in discontent but unlike she didn't put her hands on her hips nor crossed her arms and pouted. I swear, she's a just like a guy. Our eyes met and she walked over, "C'mon, let's see already. We have class you know."

I cried desperately, "W-Wait Jazz!"

Too late. His sister pulled him into the open. She gaped while the older of the Undine twins wondered, "Jeez, Andersen how many look alikes do you have? First Johan now…this chick."

Was he coming onto me? I cried, "Orion, I'm Johan."

His eyes widened, "You're kidding me! Andersen you're really a chick too?"

"I'm a guy, dumming _(Norwegian: someone who is stupid)_."

"Just what the hell were you after on that last mission?" my sister asked. Since she was sick, she wasn't allowed to go on her missions as well. So I went by myself to Norway to deal with some unbelievable sightings around a small city, "It wasn't anything major though I did get into fight with a…faen _(Norwegian: Damn)_…"

Jazzlyn raised a brow before demanding, "What did you get in a fight with?"

I replied, "A changeling."

"A changeling?" she cried, "You're an idiot, Johan! It's obvious why you're a girl! You let that thing make out with you? Pig."

I put my hands up in defense, "I swear that didn't happen!"

"I don't get it, why is Johan…er female," Artemis wondered. Since we held each other's secrets, we became closer with the twins. We started sharing tidbits of information about our trades though the Undine brothers were easily baffled by the various 'mythical' creatures. I decided to explain, "Changelings are shape shifters that change into anything and can alter the form of anything. However, with people they have to get saliva into them. But, I have no idea how I was changed."

_RIIII~~~~~~~~~~~NNNNNG! _The morning bell shrieked.

"Jeez, you're hopeless," the only girl spoke while she removed her Osiris jacket, "but I suppose that can't be helped." she reached for the bottom of her navy blue seaman's sweater. All us guys flipped out, "W-What are you doing, Andersen?"

"Jazz, not here!"

The duelist ignored them as she took off her top, "Turn around if you have to, but we need to switch clothes because I definitely don't need Hobbs grilling me for tardiness again. So Johan, strip."

I felt my ears and face burn, "E-Eh?"

"Johan, I love you but you suck at disguises and we cannot afford to blow our covers now. So you'll go as me since you couldn't even pretend to be a girl when your were a boy. And now that you're a girl, you most definitely can't pretend to be a guy," Jazzlyn reasoned. I blinked, "That makes no sense, of course I can pretend to be a guy! I am one!"

Green eyes lit with mischief, "Oh really? Then tell me that I'm wrong in your voice. Your _guy's _voice."

"Fine," I cleared my throat and spoke in a cracked parody of my voice, "Jazz, you're-" I couldn't keep it up so the last part squeaked, "wrong."

"Case and point, now hurry up," she ordered before glancing over towards the assassins, "What?"

"I just don't get it," Orion commented, "how is it that Johan looks even better as a girl than you do?"

SMACK! WHAP!

Artemis face palmed, "Honestly, you need to learn to keep your mouth shut. Or at least refrain from saying obscenities."

**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**

**(Homeroom)**

"Jazz, I don't think this'll work," I told her honestly as I peered into the classroom. A shove put in the room with students chatting about. What sounded like me answered, "Of course it will. You just have to follow along, 'Jazz'."

"I really wanna kill you, you know that?"

_RII~~~~~~~~~~~NNNNG!_

The thick accent of our teacher, Mr. Hobbs boomed, "Come along now. We don't have all day to get through this. Everyone to your seats." His eyes met mine, "and that includes you, Ms. Andersen."

Why's he gotta call me out? I wondered as I settled into my-or rather Jazz's-seat. He fixed the spectacles on his nose before addressing the class, "Good morning to you all, I'm sure you're all excited for another day at North." groans met his statement. "Yes, yes, I feel the same but before we dive into our lesson, we must select nominees of our *sigh* wonderful Miss North Academia. Do we have any students to be nominated?"

The announcement left silence. With clear sarcasm, "No need to be shy. We all encourage our girls to try their best. You could even nominate yourselves."

Then there was an Obelisk girl with this 'just-out-the-salon' hair and wearing more make-up than most teenage girls stood up, "Uh, Mr. Hobbs, I would like to nominate Ansley Lyons. Because she already is the best among the girls."

Another girl also stood, "Totally! I second it!"

_Kill me,_ I thought while Mr. Hobbs wrote the name down. I knew Ansley since we're both Obelisk and honestly I couldn't stand her since she had this snobby attitude. That and she tried making me her eye candy multiple times. Every single time I turned her down.

Ansley stood and said, "Thank you and I would like to nominate my dear friend, Jazzlyn Andersen."

I glanced back to see storm clouds over Jazz pretending to be me. To say Ansley and Jazz got along was like saying dogs have puppies with kittens-impossible. Everything about Jazz revolted her. I recall having to full nelson my little sister to keep her from murdering the girl.

"I second it!" came from one of the Osiris students. Students murmured. They had reason to. I may be a freshman but they told us about traditions at the school-including Miss North Academia. It was basically a beauty pageant and Jazzlyn had already made a reputation at school not only as the wise-cracking troublemaker but also as the feminine rebel. Last time I checked combat boots and dresses don't mix.

"You'll run won't you, Jazzy-dear?" the wicked Lyons girl asked, glaring directly at me. I gaped. What was I going to do? Jazz would murder _me_ if I chose badly in her stead. I froze. Suddenly I heard a voice call, "Of course she is!"

I looked to see me-er Jazz-standing up, "Since she won't back down so easily."

I was glad that Jazz was taking on some of her temper out in another way besides punching and kicking but then I realized…

_But doesn't that mean I'M competing?_

**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**

_Kirei: Done._

_Johan: I hate you so much._

_Kirei: But Johan._

_Johan: No! Not hearing it! *walks away*_

_Kirei: Aw…anyway, read and review!_


	13. Mission 12: Act Like a Lady

_Kirei: Oh c'mon Johan you _still_ can't be mad!_

_Johan: Oh yeah?_

_Kirei: You'll turn back!_

_Johan: When?_

_Kirei: Uh…disclaimer! I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh GX nor all the OC but I do own the plots I make for them!_

_Johan: Kirei!_

_**Reviewers Response:**_

_Oak-chan:_Johan: _No! You do not! Kirei's not gonna put me in a dress! _Kirei: _*whistling innocently* _Johan: _Kirei!_

_Chrisandersenyuki:_Jazzlyn: _Laugh. _Johan: _No, feel sorry! I'm a guy! A guy! _Jazzlyn: _Not physically anymore. _Johan: _Jazz!_

_Charathepyroqueen:_Kirei: _It's been a while since I last saw you my friend! Thank you! _Johan: _Why are all you fan girls enjoying this torture?_

_Luving Randomness:_Johan: _I'm Johan. Jesse's a- _Jazzlyn: _NO spoilers Johan! _Johan: _What the hell would Orion know anyway? He's just a…*face palm* Crap… _Jazzlyn: _My god you're slow._

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

**(Johan's POV)**

Immediately after class I grabbed my sister and ran off. I got under the staircase and sighed, "Jazz, I'm glad you're using something besides your fists to settle a problem, but you have to pull out the pageant."

"What? No way!" Jazzlyn cried. "Lockwood's going down!"

"I'm glad you're knocking egos but I can't enter as you! That's just something I can't do!" I told her, flustered at the thought of it. A blank stare met my gaze before blinking, "I was just gonna have you hide for the whole day but what you said sounds a lot better!"

I face palmed, "Me and my big mouth…Wha? Jazz-" she suddenly hooked her arm around mine and began heading off with me in tow, "To the city my _dear_ sister!"

*anime tears*, "A god hates me…!"

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

**(Courtyard of North Academia)**

North Academia, since it was on a mountaintop, had shuttle buses that went down the mountain to a nearby city. It only ran on weekends since it took hours to get down there and most students stayed for the night when they traveled. However, before they could board the bus, a student must get authorization from a teacher.

"We're lucky, they almost ran out of passes to for this bus," Jazzlyn commented. Gloom lines were on my head, as I dryly quipped, "…Lucky us…"

"Just think of it this way," my sibling retorted as we got onto the bus, "you won't have to worry about keeping it secret so-oh god."

"What?" I dared to ponder as I looked at the bus seats and nearly fell over. Our friends! All of them were on it…I must have done something wrong in a past life or something because my luck is complete and utter crap. Jazzlyn was dragging me over since I was in a daze. I could tell she wanted to be herself; after all I'm the _nice _twin. In my tone of voice she wondered, "Everyone…what are you doing here?"

"C'mon Johan, this is our one and only opportunity to see Jazzlyn," La'Rae commented, "the skirt refuser!"

Jazz and I tumbled slightly to our seats as the bus began to move. We settled into seats in the middle of the North students. Sakura laughed, "Ms 'never-caught-dead-in-heels'!"

Miku and Kyoko chorused together, "The only girl to dare reside in a boy's dorm!"

"It's amazing," everyone said, "that ultimate tomboy is in a beauty pageant!"

I was supposed to pretend to be offended, but I was too dumbfounded. Jazz, on the other hand, appeared to be seething. Her hand turned into a fist. I linked arms with her in an effort to keep her from punching the nearest target. In, what I guessed, was a tough voice that was signature of my sister's I rolled my eyes, "Yeah well I'm only in it since that annoyance known as Ansley Lockwood dared to call me out!"

"What so you're gonna put her in her place?" Leon wondered, "Sorry to say, Jazz, but that might not be an area you could succeed in."

Me and Jazz asked at the same time, "And why's that?"

All of our friends gave a 'are-you-f*cking-serious' expression as they incredulously stared at my-or rather Jazz's-wardrobe. I was in a pair of jeans that Jazz had owned since…god how long _did_ she have these jeans? A turtleneck was on under a hoodie. Boots were the icing of this cake. I sweat dropped, could Jazz really pull this off? Even if she did gain proficiency in disguising (something I nearly flunked!), you can't be given taste and girliness. I mean, she could be a guy no problem. Hello? She's pretending to be me and no one has noticed! But could she be pageant material? Unfortunately, _I_ was going to be the one to find out…

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

**(Dawnson City-a city at the foot of North Academia)**

"What are we looking for anyway, Andersen? I'm sure they have some criteria like uh…swimsuits?" the older of the assassin twins commented. I shot a glare at his amused expression. He knew I was pretending to be Jazz and was only getting this sick satisfaction from it! All eyes fell on me, expecting me to know what clothes my sibling needed. Hell, what clothes_are_ we looking for?

"Uh-"

"Jazz needs a swimsuit, winter clothing, clothes representing her ethnicity, and a 'contestant's choice'," Jazzlyn listed off, showing a folder in her grasp, "she forgot this so I brought it. Damn, I feel sorry for you, Jazz."

You have no idea…I spent the day being shoved into dressing rooms with piles of clothes tossed over the top for me to try on. Why are there so many clothes for girls? The girls, though I know their intentions were pure, were smothering with all these clothes selections! Albeit they fit on my-and consequently my twin's-figure, I was stuck on what to choose. That was until Jazzlyn began slipping me clothes that were, I admit, perfect for her. Though I still can't believe it, I _have_ to wear this stuff!

"I can't believe that they expect the contestants to be ready after one weekend," Miku commented, as she gazed at the intinery. They had finished the shopping and were currently eating. I was exhausted, I mean c'mon, do you know how tiring it is to sashay to everyone in only Ra knows how many outfits? I don't know how women do it!

"Most of it's modeling but," Lien glanced sidelong at the list, "at least they have some other parts."

Was that supposed to make me feel better? I only felt like this was prolonging my torture as a female! I banged my head against the table and moaned, "No more shopping!"

"Don't worry, the other parts of the competition don't require you to have a special outfit, Jazz," Sakura offered as she looked into the folder, "They have a personality portion."

La'Rae pretended to cry into a napkin, "And I would only wish for the end of world hunger and create world peace!" Everyone laughed at her satire, "Isn't that how they figure out whether or not you're made of sugar and spice and everything nice?"

I chided, "But I'm made of mud trails and snails, and puppy dog tails."

That earned me a stomping on my foot from my sister. I screamed in silent agony as my head hit the table again. Jazzlyn commented, "Careful Jazz or you're gonna face plant right into your food."

I glared at her. She was enjoying this too. Not only does she spurn her annoyance but she also doesn't have to personally participate in it. Some siblings have all the luck…My attention came back to the table just as everyone made a decision-a decision I obviously didn't' contribute to. However, Jazz and Orion were snickering, meaning it had to be bad news for me…

"Alright, we'll take care of dinner here so you all can begin your training early," Leon told the girls. Training? The elder of the Undine twins quipped, "Don't forget to record it all too!" Before I could question what was going on, all the girls were leaving their euros for the meal and dragging me out the door. I teared up as I thought, _More female torture!_

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

**(Hotel Room)**

Normally a guy should be excited-hell I'm _still_ excited-by the sight of seeing girls in their pajamas. Yet I wished the circumstances of seeing them were different. I wished I could be myself sitting among them just hanging out in a hotel room unsupervised. However, Lady Luck is fickle since the reality was that I'm a girl in an unsupervised hotel room with a bunch of girls not for hanging out but teaching me on 'how to be a girl'. I felt like a clown wearing make-up and I don't dare look in the mirror out of fear of never being able to look at myself when I'm a guy again.

"First thing's first-walking," Kyoko announced.

"Walking?" I repeated, confused. What was wrong with my walking? You just put one foot after the other, right? I was forced to stand and walk around the room. Once I finished all the girls made an X with their hands, "Wrong!"

"H-Huh?"

Kayla walked over to push my back in, forcing me to stand more erect, "You're slouching and tromping." Lien walked over and put a few books on my head, "This is light but help you learn to keep balance too." I stumbled a bit. This was light? Then what has 'heavy'? I took a step and a book fell off. Lien made a gesture to continue walking.

THUNK…THUNK…THUNK…

By the time I reached the other side of the room, all the books had tumbled onto the floor. I looked fearfully at the girls. They all crossed their arms and shook their heads. For Ra's sake, this will be a long night…I bet Jazz is having a better time.

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

**(Boys' Hotel Room (Jazzlyn's POV)**

This. Was. Awesome! We were all in the hotel room with no advisors to watch after us. Leon brought an Xbox 360 he finished repairing early. He also had the controllers and rented the latest Call of Duty. The brunette paused the game, "Anyone want soda?"

"Sure." "Hurry up!" "Why not?"

The teenager hopped up onto his feet from the bed, shuffling into the kitchen. As he disappeared into the living area of the suite, his roommate snickered. Me and his brother glanced at each other before I dared to ask, "What did you do this time, Undine?"

"You'll see…" We waited in silence as we awaited the reason for Orion's snickering. The only sound we heard was footsteps. Leon remerged with four sodas in his arms. He tossed one to each of us. The older assassin had to stifle his incredulity, "Ready to play?"

"Uh be right back!" Orion jumped onto his feet and rushed out the room. Leon shook his head as he picked up the guy's controller and resumed the game at the same time as we heard a SPLAT! Shortly after it was followed up with, "Damn you, Torrington!"

The said boy sipped his Mountain Dew, "Love you too, ya pillock."

"Shut it you queer!"

Leon smiled. He offered no explanation before refocusing on the game at hand. Though we didn't know exactly what happened both of us realized one thing: Leon had just outfoxed Orion.

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

**(Girls' Hotel Room (Johan's POV)**

"Excellent, Jazz, you finally got the walking part down." I sighed in relief. "Now it's time for you to practice in heels around the hotel." Heels? They can't be that bad…can they?

(five minutes later)

"Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow," I nearly said in a chant as I limped along. I looked up at the flights of steps. All the girls were standing at the top floor of the steps. They were giggling as I jaw dropped at how much longer I had to go, "You've got to be f-ing kidding me."

"Oh c'mon Jazz, it isn't that bad," Sakura chided. "Besides we'll move something easier after this."

I could feel my eye twitching, "Dare I ask what that is?"

"Putting on girdles of course."

"Gir-" I remembered seeing commercials about that. They were modern day corsets. I knew about those from history. They _disfigured _people! Nuh-uh! That's where I draw the line! I'm a guy that has walked in the godforsaken footwear known as high-heels! I _WILL NOT_ put that on. So what did I do? Run of course! If this is what it's like to be a girl, I pray to God I never have a daughter!

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

_Kirei: Poor Johan! He's been made into a girl and suffering the trials of one. Man, sucks to be him_

_Johan: Kirei do not even start singing that song._

_Kirei: You're no fun. Anyway this is a bridging chapter since the weekend I was writing this, my county got hit by a tornado so my electricity has been out and I've been jumping to relatives with power-but no internet. Because of that I couldn't find the outfits I needed. Sorry, the pageant has to be in the next chapter._

_Oh yeah! I forgot to mention! I'm working on North Academia character songs! There are two characters to each 'CD' and they usually have a song they sing by themselves and one that features them and another character(s). It's actually pretty fun with each since it can show a whole nother side of the characters. I believe Johan and Jazzlyn's is first though amazingly of all the characters, the first one I finished was Artemis' (don't ask me how that happened)_

_Though I felt like doing some random parody trailers bit pieces for fun so here goes! The Hangover!:_

*phone rings* Sakura picks up, anxious "Hey, Sakura."

"Orion, where the hell are you? Your brother and I are supposed to get married in 5 hours!" she cried over the phone. The guy sweat dropped as he examined the hotel room, "Yeah…that's not gonna happen."

(2 days earlier!)

"Woo! Road trip!" Johan called excitedly as they entered Las Vegas. The lights were flashing with wonder as people bustled (and stumbled about). The guys were at a table all with drinks in hand. Orion said, "Let's make this the night of our lives!"

All the guys agreed, "Cheers!"

(Earlier that Morning…)

All of the guys awake with migraines and slightly lethargic. Leon wondered, "What happened last night?"

"Holy sh*t!" Johan calls jumping back from the bathroom, "Dude, there's a tiger in the bathroom!"

"No wa-" Leon slams the door shut and sinks against it, "Okay there is…Hey wait am I missing a tooth?"

Orion and Johan laugh, cause he was. Then they heard a cry. They turned to the source of it-a baby. Johan questioned, "Uh…who's baby is that?"

_Yeah that's all I got time for…I might actually finish that Hangover trailer. Just imagine the four of them on a road trip to Vegas…chaos abound._


	14. Mission 13: Miss North Academia

_Kirei: Hey ya!_

_Johan: Kirei, don't you have other stuff to be writing? Like, I don't know, that Kingdom Hearts one you do collaborations on? Or your most popular one, The Raven Prince?_

_Kirei: I'll get to them…eventually. Leave me alone! I just finished my season of track! I'm tired and other stuff going on in my life!_

_Jazzlyn: Johan, stop before she starts balling._

_Johan: Jazz you're overr-_

_Kirei: *tear sprinklers* WAH!_

_Jazzlyn: Kirei does not own Yu-Gi-Oh GX nor all the OC but she does own her plotline._

_**Reviewers Response:**_

_Luving Randomness:_Kirei: _*high fives* _

Johan: _I am not slow!_

_Chrisandersenyuki:_Johan: _Ah, I'm still loved. _

Kirei: _I intend to continue the Hangover!_

_Oak-chan:_Leon: _Yes, it's possible-it's honestly not that hard. And well you see it started the day we became roommates after he tried to prank me._

Kirei:_ I'll let you know how it went down in this chapter. Yeah, I guess we have some pretty sadistic students in the school but that's what makes it interesting. I sorted Artemis' out first because at the time I decided to make character songs, I was in the middle of writing a future chapter that was primarily about his past. Now I have finished Rory (yes, Rory has one) and Leon's and I'm almost done with Orion's, Johan's, and Kayla's. Huh? I wrote: "Orion? Where the hell are you? Your brother and I are supposed to be married in 5 hours". Sakura's still referring to her boyfriend (though they aren't together yet in NA)._

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

**(Infirmary or Nurse's Office (Johan's POV)**

"Ms Stevenson, please tell me that you made a concocted a cure for me!" I begged her. Literally. I was on my knees, pulling at her skirt. Sitting relaxed with her feet on the table was my twin, "Quit groveling, Johan. That's not in my character (1)."

"Neither is being in a stupid beauty pageant, but look who's gonna be in an hour," I moaned before resuming my pleading, "Ms Stevenson!"

Our fellow comrade finished writing off another report. She then turned to us, "Well, you see, there was recent disputes with changelings so a whole shipment was sent to the people there. But I did try to create me own until the antidote is made again. Here."

She held out a test tube filled with a yellowish-liquid. I knew I should be serious but c'mon, you're thinking what I'm thinking right? "Uh…Ms Stevenson, are you sure this is the antidote?"

"Positive," the nurse answered, "now drink."

I gave a hard stare at it before gulping it down. God that was disgusting! I expected something, anything, to happen. Nothing. I sighed, "It didn't work." Ms Stevenson took at more of the sample antidote she made, "Hm, that's strange, I believed for sure that it would've worked…I guess I'll have to test it on a familiar to work out the bugs. I'm sorry, Johan."

"I'm sorry too."

"Oh, Jazzlyn, your mother sent a package to you. It seemed to be really urgent for her to fly it all the way over here in a hurry," the Swedish nurse informed as she retrieved the box from her cabinet. Both PAD looked at it, "What could Leanne possibly send at this time of year?"

I shrugged before my sister tore open the box. Inside it was…a dress? Jazzlyn held it up, "Seriously, that woman acts like I'll wear this crap. It's so…frilly (2)."

While she was complaining, I picked up the card that came with it. I read, "I heard Jazzy was in the beauty pageant but Johan is going in her place. Either way someone is wearing the dress since you both have the same face," I sweat dropped, "…thanks Leanne."

Then I saw my assassin roommate. He politely greeted, "Good afternoon, Ms Stevenson." she waved in return, "Hello, Artemis, need something to be looked at?"

"No, just looking for those two. I told you they would be in here, prost fratele _(Romanian: idiot brother)_," he called out to the hall. Artemis withdrew from the door as his sibling stepped in. I cringed and coughed, "They have a really cool invention, Orion, it's called a shower."

"And that's where I've been for hours straight," he flatly replied. I turned to Jazz and Artemis, "What happened?"

The younger of the twins answered, "That stench is the result of his own prank backfiring while we were in Dawson City."

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

**(Flashback)**

The 'guys' had just finished paying for the dinner, leaving a while after the girls. They were leaving when they heard some people near the back yelling in Italian. Orion paused and his brother stopped as well, telling both Jazzlyn and Leon to head back and they'd catch up.

"_Orion thought it was bright to take some really expired milk and try to turn it into a prank."_

Leon was hooking up the Xbox to the TV, while Jazzlyn had gone out to make sure that Johan didn't run off somewhere. Artemis was helping the brunette preparing the game console, leaving his sibling unattended. The assassin quickly filled up a balloon with the rancid milk and drained the rest.

"_And somewhere along that line, he put in a balloon and rigged it inside the freezer."_

_I asked, "Then what? He forgot and ended up getting caught?"_

"_No, it was supposed to get Leon but he apparently turned it around"_

The Osiris stepped out of the room where he and his friends were playing Call of Duty. He was at the refrigerator. He was standing away from the fridge as he opened it and noticed a string with a pencil tied to the end. Then he saw the balloon rolling towards him. The duelist stopped it and blew a sharp breath, "Undine…when are you gonna learn?"

He set the balloon off to the side while he grabbed the sodas. Then he set up the balloon on top of the refrigerator with the pencil and string set up like Orion had, only it was rigged to the freezer door. Leon got the soda and walked back in, "Ready to play?"

"Uh, be right back!" Orion got up, rushing to where the teenager just left. Leon shook his head, since he thought that the guy would've been more subtle about him being the one to set up the trap. But then again, the older Undine was in Osiris for a reason.

Meanwhile, Orion was checking the freezer, "There's no way he didn't get hit by that. Wait, where'd it go?" The answer came less than a second later…

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

Jazzlyn and Artemis were laughing about the scenario again. The other two PAD joined in, leaving the 'victim' seething, "Hey, it wasn't that funny."

"You're right!" I laughed, "It's hilarious!"

I think for a fraction of a second he was considering pulling out his baretta (which Jazz and I found out he kept in his boots), but then he let it go. His mischievous attitude returned as he quipped, "Which reminds me, I was told to get our Osiris representative for Miss North Academia." color drained from my face, which only added to his contentment. He did a mock bow, "Shall you go, _princess_?"

My eye twitched. That bastard…I walked away with my head held high, but not before 'accidentally' hitting him with the door, "Why thank you, court jester."

Both me and Orion's siblings were snickering. I probably was gonna have to sleep with one eye open tonight but it was worth seeing that expression!

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

**(Auditorium (Johan's POV)**

The auditorium was packed with students and staff around. They filled up the seats as were chatting about just who was in the pageant. Pamphlets were nearly in everyone's hands. It was dark in the crowd yet with my eyesight I could still spy my friends sitting near the front. They seemed just as excited as the audience. Yet…

"Why me?" I asked. The curtain I was peeking behind was slid closed with Jazz standing with a crew pass on, "Your fault for letting a changeling turn you into a girl."

I protested, "I didn-"

"Andersen, no time for chit-chat, get in line!" a stagehand whispered harshly to me. I sighed. Looks like there was no turning back now…I stood, shifting from foot to foot. Damn these heels hurt! I looked around, besides me there were 5 other girls-including Ansley Lyons. She saw me and smirked, "Andersen, you look great."

"Uh, thanks?" I replied, surprised by the sudden compliment. I looked down at what I was wearing (3). She snickered, "For a hick."

"Bitch," the word escaped from my mouth. Great, now I'm starting to act like Jazz. Ansley couldn't answer as the music cued. The girls went one by one as their names were called. It was the intros with the first outfit, as I was informed, was a casual to make the audience think 'these girls are just like you'. What a charade!

"Next we have Miss Jazzlyn Andersen."

"Don't choke, Andersen," I ignored the call before I walked onto the stage, following the sequence I was supposed to walk. The MC was, surprisingly, Kyoko and Yuki. Yuki read, "Jazzlyn is 15-years-old and a freshman at North. She lives in the Osiris dorms and is from Rome, Italy. Her hobbies are dueling and photography."

"You forgot fighting and pulling pranks," Kyoko chided, making the crowd laugh. Sure they thought that was a joke but she was dead serious. The girls asked, "Anything you'd like to say, Jazz?"

I put on the airs that Jazzlyn usually had and made a "feh" before walking off stage. Yuki commented, "Ooh sassy. It's going to be an interesting day, isn't it?"

As soon as I was off stage I nearly fell apart. There were so many people! Seeing me! Even if they thought I was Jazz, _I_ knew I wasn't! This is humiliating and it's only the first segment…

Both Yuki and Kyoko were dressed as if they were about to walk outside. The lighting became a light blue on stage. Fake snowmen and mounds of snow were placed around the stage. Two of the girls were dressed for being inside for the winter. Another looked like they killed a lot of fox (the poor foxes) to create he outfit. One didn't even look like they were ready to walk into the freezing weather! Then there was Ansley.

She flaunted on stage in a outfit sparkling so much, I swear I could find her in a blizzard. With ski equipment in hand she said to the stage, "I've never really skied before, so would anyone like to help me?"

I wanted to puke at the false sweetness in her voice, but it seemed like the boys were buying it. Well, the guys except the ones that were my friends (except Rory-he was drooling). Wait there was one or two missing? I didn't have time to contemplate it as I had to make an appearance (3). I slid down one of the higher mounds of snow and banked around the other girls. I turned to stop, kicking up the fake snow-right into Ansley's face. I removed the goggles from my face and scratched my head, "Sorry, I came off the slope a little too fast."

She smiled, but she was definitely seething inside.

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

**(Hallway (Jazzlyn's POV)**

I was standing in the hall alone, waiting for Ms Stevenson. She said that there was a problem. I wondered what it could be. I glanced outside when I thought I saw something out there. I squinted my eyes to look but if there was something; it was gone. A hand was reaching for me. Thinking it was my roommate sneaking up on me, I grabbed the person's wrist and flipped them on the ground. Seeing whom I put on the ground, I gasped, "M-Mr. Hayes!"

The chemistry teacher looked like he was seeing stars, "Hello, Andersen."

Throughly embarrassed now, I helped the man back onto his feet. I apologized, "I'm so sorry! I thought you were someone else."

"No, no, that was my fault for sneaking up on you," Hayes brushed the dirt off his lab coat, "I fail to remember that people are usually trained in self-defense. You're not the first to do that to me."

_Yeah, well be lucky I didn't do any advanced moves_, I thought to myself, "What are you doing out here? I thought you would be watching the Miss North Academia pageant."

"It's not my cup of tea," he admitted, "so I'm heading back to grade some papers. If you have some free time, I could use the help." I probably should, just because I nearly permanently injured him but…"Uh…Would like to but I'm-"

"There you are."

The orange-haired nurse approached with Hayes waving me off, "Another time then, Ms Andersen."

"Bye-" I stopped short as Ms Stevenson came into hearing distance, and the teacher exited down the hall. He just said 'Ms Andersen'. How'd he know that _I _wasn't Johan? My attention was shifted as my comrade showed me a shaking in the shape of a dormouse, "As cute as that is, why is that a problem?"

"This is the dormouse I did experiment on for the antidote I made," she informed me, "It's a boy."

My face displayed my confusion, "Okay and…?"

"I made it a girl earlier today and it's male again," the nurse reported. "The antidote has a delayed effect, Jazzlyn. Whatever antic, you put Johan through, you have to get him away from people within the hour," I face palmed, "Uh, that's easier said than done, Ms Stevenson."

"Why?"

I replied, "He's competing in a beauty pageant in front of the whole school?"

"Andersen!"

"I'm sorry! I swear I'll fix this!" thinking of an idea, I rushed off. I saw my fellow Osiris and without thinking I grabbed his wrist, "You're coming with me."

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

**(Auditorium (Johan's POV)**

The pageant was going faster than I expected. We're already to the last part of it: the talent competition. Jazz and I agreed on doing a skit with a play fight. I was in my costume (5) on stage. Artemis had to be in the skit since his brother-who was supposed to perform with me-disappeared into thin air.

Yuki read the introduction, "…Our story takes place in a kingdom of another universe. Where a cursed prince must protect his land from the evil wizard that has destroyed many lands before the prince's. Can he succeed with the limitations on his powers?"

From the side of the stage, a fog machine was used to make the 'ominous' entrance of the 'evil wizard' (6). I spoke to sound brave, "I may be weaker, but I will never allow you to take my kingdom."

"Is that so?" Artemis asked, flatly, "Then your kingdom will fall with you."

We drew swords. Most people think it's fake but the blades were real. Why? Hello? Assassins! They don't use fake anything when it comes to weapons! Carefully but confidently, I battled with the younger Undine twin to put on a show. But where were Jazz and Orion? They were supposed to have been somewhere backstage to help…

**(Offstage (Jazzlyn's POV)**

"Andersen are you sure this is gonna work?" Orion asked as he pushed the dolly carrying a box-like one you see in magic shows where the magician puts his lovely assistant. I, who was hidden in said box, answered, "I'm pretty sure that Artemis is way more intelligent than you so yes."

"Ooh, talking like that will cost you, Andersen," he quipped, "because I could just let time tick and let Johan turn back into a guy in front of the entire school. That'd be bad for both of you, right?"

Since I had to stay in the box I could only cry, "You bastard, you wouldn't!"

"Care to test that?"

"…" I would admit despite his lack of intellect like his sibling, Orion had his own skills that made him lethal in the business side of assassination. Let me put it like this: Artemis kept all the records and bookkeeping, but Orion was the one with hustle to get the money. And unfortunately, I didn't have the time to haggle with him, "What do you want?"

Though I couldn't see, I was certain he had a cocky grin on his face, "You know those daggers you recently got? Ya know the ones with the titanium and platinum combination?"

"You can't be serious! That took me four _months_ to earn!" I called. The abrupt stop made me know he was serious. Now I know how Johan feels when he loses his new guns, "…Fine!"

"_And_ your breakfast for the next week," he added. The extortionist! I mentally cried, "Alright! Alright! Just hurry it up before you think of something else!"

The box was put at the edge of the stage. Artemis glanced offstage where his brother mouthed the situation to him. He understood as he figured out where Jazzlyn was hidden in the box. The assassin continued the caporeina with Johan, opening the front part of the box, "You prince shall fall victim to my magics, whether it is your will or not."

Johan was confused. That wasn't within their script. Neither was the box. He clashed swords with the teenage mercenary. They put themselves in a sword deadlock, so close that no one but them could hear Johan ask, "What's going on?"

"Andersen is saying that your going to be turning back into a guy in…probably a few seconds now."

"What? I'm doomed," Johan incredulously said, the last part of his sentence being heard by the watching audience. Instead of answering, Artemis maneuvered to push Johan into the box and closed it afterward. Without changing his tone he announced to the crowd, "Doomed is correct. With this spell you shall fall to my power."

Me and Johan sweat dropped. How could he retain this dead tone even when acting? However, it still attracted the females as they squealed 'he's so cute', 'why can't this be a male pageant?', and 'put me under your spell, wizard!'. Even Orion had to face palm. Artemis could act-as long as it wasn't from a script. Regardless, the assassin achieved what was needed as he spun the box.

"Oh no! Our daring prince has been caught! Is this the end for his kingdom and the world?" Kyoko asked. Making the crowd wait with baited breath for the ending. I kicked open the door in the same cloak was before but in the dress Leanne sent rather than the suit Johan was wearing. I looked down at myself and said, "This form…The curse has been broken!"

The announcer was on the podium, "Oh! A twist! The prince is really a princess!"

"I must thank you, wizard," I commented, taking on my role fully, "with your death! Whether I am male or female, I will defeat you!"

Girls swooned at my proclamation while guys gawked at my body. Either way, I had their attention. Johan in the mean time nearly fainted offstage out of happiness. He was a guy again!

I poised my sword in for a straight thrust that 'pierced' my opponent. Artemis fell with me still standing, "The deed is done! The evil wizard is no more!"

The audience was in a stunned silence. Finally claps could be heard before it evolved in a bedlam of applause. Finally after a minute both her and her roommate's brother stood and took a bow, earning more praise.

I couldn't help but think: _Top that Lyons!_

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

All the girls were gathered on the stage in the clothes from the talent portion. The girls seemed like they were ready to cry. I couldn't understand why. It was just a stupid contest based on appearance. Honestly, these type of things make me sick.

Ansley was discreetly prodding the back of my leg with her damned heels. Someone please announce the winner before I get expelled for murder! Kyoko and Yuki opened the envelope their were given from the panel of teachers. They announced, "And the winner of Miss north Academia is…Jazzlyn Andersen!"

"E-Eh?" I actually stuttered aloud. I didn't expect to _win_ the dumb competition, only mop Ansley on the floor. A tiara, sash, and boquet of flowers. I was asked if I had any words for the crowd. I stepped to the mic and replied, "I'd rather be dueling."

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

_Kirei: Done!_

_Johan: Yeah at nearly one in the morning with a final in the morning._

_Kirei: I feel like I've done that before…_

_**Authoress' Notes:**_

1) I will give NA spoilers out if you can guess what anime this is from!

2) What the dress looks like: (dot)wordpress(dot)com/2010/08/konachan-com-73254-chii-chobits-clamp-tsubasa_reservoir_chronicle(dot)jpg or check out my profile!

3)http:/www(dot)lowonhitpoints(dot)com/anime/shugo(dot)chara(dot)amu(dot)fashion(dot)s1/34(dot)snowboard(dot)jpg

4) http:/hpham2017(dot)edublogs(dot)org/files/2011/04/anime-girl-1-1ebmz82(dot)jpeg

5)https:/d27fcql9yjk2c0(dot)cloudfront(dot)net/assets/3183889/lightbox/Anime%20Prince(dot)jpg?1299951171 (The only difference is that this outfit is mostly white with blue where the red is)

6) http:/cdn(dot)pimpmyspace(dot)org/media/pms/c/9i/ik/kj/ictureswiz(dot)jpg


	15. Extra 1: Artemis and Orion

_Kirei: Hi! Hi! Didn't expect another update so soon did ya? Don't get your hopes up since this is a bonus chapter!_

_Johan: How can you make a proclamation like that so happily?_

_Kirei: Cause I can? Anyway! You know how I said that I was making character songs? I finished some so I decided that I would post them as soon I've arranged them into their volumes. Technically, I was supposed to have the volumes be posted in the order that the adventures come with the notable exception of the Undine twins because their songs came faster._

_Jazzlyn: She's taken a liking to all of the OC characters._

_Kirei: Yeah, yeah, we'll just leave it at that. I do not own all the OC or the music used to make the songs. HOWEVER! The lyrics to all the songs are mine! I made them with my love and effort so I'd appreciate if no one steals it. _

_Enjoy the extra chapter!_

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

Kirei was busy untangling wires. She was hurrying to get everything plugged into their proper position. The camera was set up before the girl scrambled up a ladder to get the lighting right. She was making her final sound checks, all while her guests were sitting, thinking she was half crazy (Which it wouldn't be surprising if she was). At last she sank into a seat across from the two guys on the set she just set up.

"Was that really necessary?" Artemis questioned. Kirei shrugged, "Probably not. But that's besides the point! We're here for the character interview and songs. So I guess we'll begin. I just gotta ask, what's both of your full names and what do they mean?"

"Seriously?" Orion looked at the authoress incredulously. The expression on her face made it evident she wasn't joking. Both sighed, "Orion Sorin Undine and I don't have a clue what my name means besides my first name being a constellation." his brother explained, "Artemis Mircea Undine. My name is also related to the night as it is the name of a Roman deity of the moon. Orion's middle name is the inverse of my first name as Sorin means sun. My middle name, Mircea, means peace and our last name is the name of a water nymph-an elemental related to night."

"Wah, that's a lot within a name," Kirei commented, "but I noticed your names are sorta weird for English, does that reflect your ethnicities?"

"We're not Greek it that's what you're thinking," the older immediately said, "but our middle and last names sure. We're Romanian and German though we speak more languages than that." The authoress reclined in her chair, "Because of the family business, right? Which brings up the subject of your work. Assassins…How'd you get into it?

"We came into the assassination business since birth. Our dad was an assassin that got killed about…Arty, how long was it?" Orion asked his little brother, "About 6 years prior to the start of North Academia. Our mom's in the nut house because of it so we're stuck taking care of ourselves. Unfortunately, you have forbidden us from discussing the rest."

"Yep," Kirei chirped, "Next question, do you have rituals you do with your assignments and do you have a favorite gun? Don't be afraid to make extra comments."

The younger decided to leave this one to his sibling, who huffed at the responsibility, "Before every mission, I eat something-" "More like the entire fridge" "-while Arty spends his time meditating. As for favorites, Artemis prefers using a custom Colt Python (1) since it's really accurate. But, he doesn't like dual-wielding so he normally only keeps one gun in his hand. Though he does make a person think that if they knock the gun out his hand, he's defenseless. Me on the other hand, I use custom Beretta M9 (2) because it's durable for a lot of conditions. Unlike Arty, I do use two at the same time. It ensures that they stay dead."

"Certain reason they're your favorite?"

"Not really, for me at least. But my fretele here…" the teenager replied, earning a dangerous glint warning him to say nothing else, "he uses his because-"

A bullet nearly got him straight in the head. Artemis did not look pleased, "Prost fratele! You promised never to speak of that!"

"Well she _is_ the authoress, I just can't stay silent about it," The assassin said calmly in the face of a Python's barrel. Kirei rocked forward in interest, "Stay silent about what?"

Using the momentary distraction, Orion twisted his twin into a hold with the gun pushed away, "That Arty likes them because it's like the ones they use in western movies! He thought it was like being a cowboy when we first started."

"Orion, you will die a long, slow torturous death." his sibling prophesized in low dangerous tone. Kirei scooted her chair further away from the two. She certainly didn't want to be caught in the crossfire, "Please not in the studio, I'm renting it. So, moving on, what's are things you do? Some things you like to do?"

Settling for slamming his older sibling on the table, Artemis responded, "I _have_ to watch this idiot to insure he doesn't get killed because of his idiocy, but if I could be doing anything, I'd rather be reading than babysitting my older brother."

"That actually hurts, ya know," Orion complained, stretching to regain feeling in his back. "But unlike my nerd of a brother, I do more interesting hobbies."

"You mean gorging yourself in anything in a 5-meter radius."

"I don't think this'll go anywhere without becoming a blood bath so let's just move onto the songs, ne?" Kirei suggested. She really couldn't afford for them to ruin the set. It seemed to get them to quit from whatever they were going to do to each other. Artemis sat back down while Orion was supposed to walk up onto the stage, conveniently set up behind where they were talking.

He adjusted the mic while the intro went on. Kirei turned to the audience, "The music used is 'Strength' by Abingdon boys school. I have the lyrics to break to the next line every time there is a pause. Listen to the song as you read the lyrics from this link: http:/youtu(dot)be/wIwKX2yZbLM"

The piano was played as he waited for the time to start. When it was, he sang:

_Always looking over my shoulder,_

_There's no one you can trust…_

_No one at all…_

_With the mindset engraved in my mind,_

_How can you expect me to change so easily?_

_My path cannot be yours,_

_Yours is one too innocent._

_Sorry, I cannot walk away…_

_Let's end this before becomes too deep_

_Before…I dare to doubt!_

_Turning to leave yet again,_

_Ready to face the numbing solitude,_

_Determined and resolute_

_Yet you reach your hand toward mine…_

"_Just trust me, it's alright"_

_For a moment my resolve wavers…_

_Trusting in you…_

_Can I?_

_(short instrumental)_

_It's kill or be killed,_

_So always roam alone…_

_Like the wolf…_

_That's my only belief or at least the only one I know_

_What else is there?_

_My world has always been small,_

_Because my faith remains dim…_

_Don't make me change my ways-_

_Stripping me down to my soul_

_That's enough…I can't bear it anymore!_

_Bonds different from those I've known_

_They both seem so foreign to me…_

_Friends and comrades_

_You patiently waiting for my response,_

"_Will you trust in me?"_

_Hesitant and shaking,_

_Why am I so afraid?_

_To believe in you!_

_(guitar solo)_

_It's too much for me to stand,_

_This camaraderie_

_With that, I shut my heart_

"_Why do you continue to persist?"_

_I won't forget that and arrogant and_

_Smug answer: "We are friends"_

_Turning to leave yet again,_

_Ready to face the numbing solitude,_

_Determined and resolute_

_Yet you reach your hand toward mine…_

"_Just trust me, it's alright"_

_For a moment my resolve wavers…_

_You won't betray me?_

_Trusting in you…_

_Can I?_

_(outro)_

Kirei and Artemis clapped as he bowed, "Suge, Orion-kun! You can actually do something."

"What do you mean by 'actually do something'?" he asked as he came back down to sit. Kirei pretended she said nothing. Artemis got up, "Guess that means I have to go."

He climbed onto the stage. Kirei went to the audience again, "The song for this one is called 'Ajisai' by SID. The format is the same and here is the link: http:/youtu(dot)be/b0kddvwe_Zc"

The guitar began to play softly until it grew louder. It pause for a second then a bass and drums joined it. The teenager waited until the instruments went softer again:

_Weeks turn into months,_

_Months inevitably flow into mundane years…_

_Struggling to continue on,_

_With my weary feet yet the distance is the same…_

_Breathless, I stride after your turned back._

_Futile pleas fall on deaf ears_

_Why do you seem so far out of my grasp,_

_Like a tantalizing fruit?_

_To stand beside you as an equal_

_Is my fondest desire-_

_A fleeting and unrealistic dream_

_Even so, even so…_

_I'll continue until I read you…_

_(short instrumental)_

_Your forgiving smile,_

_Your protective self all bearing scars_

_Disguising they agony to preserve my ignorant bliss_

_I want to bear my own sins_

_Allow me to share in our failures_

_One spider-web thin opportunity_

_It's all the chance I need…_

_I can stand on my own_

_I can walk on this path_

_The trail behind you seems to grow shorter_

_Not today, but someday_

_I'll be able to reach you_

_(guitar and drum duet)_

_Moirae's are cruel goddesses,_

_Damning my fate_

_Am I destined to slip when you're in arm's length_

_A vicious cycle…_

_I want to shatter it…_

_To stand beside you as an equal_

_Is my fondest desire-_

_A fleeting and unrealistic dream_

_Even so, even so_

_I'll continue until I reach you…_

_(outro)_

_Until I reach you…_

"That was great Artemis," I cheered as he got back down. "And since I'm the one that wrote the lyrics, I guess I'll tell you the inspiration. If I spoil some things…that'll be nice, wouldn't it? Anyway!

Orion's song is called Dubious Trust. It's inspired from the fact that he and Artemis get into a tight spot in the beginning of their sophomore year. He comes to where he is asked by the PAD to put some faith into them. The song's supposed to show how he's not so quick to trust _anyone_ since he's been raised as an assassin. Of all the lines "we are friends" is the only one with a reference to many anime where there's heroic characters that fight for the sake of their friends. And when he refers to 'you' it alternates between his North Academia friends and Jazzlyn specifically. She tried often to that both she and Johan were trustworthy-even if it was endangering their lives. Maybe if he read more then it wouldn't be a problem."

"Woman, leave me alone on the subject!"

"Artemis's song is known as Until I Reach You. It's also from their sophomore year (it's time that's actually centered on them and Miku). It comes from insight from their past where Artemis figured out that Orion does a lot of protecting he didn't know about. Until I Reach You was for his desire to not be a burden to his brother. This one has more references since I got ideas from his name. 'Tantalizing fruit' refers to a Greek story of Tantalus (where we get the word tantalize), who was punished by stand in a pool of water with food always dangling right out of his reach for eternity. The name Moirae are a trio of goddesses (the three you see with thread and scissors in Hercules) that are basically the goddesses of destiny. Finally 'spider-web thin opportunity' is a reference to Kuroshitsuji."

"Quite a lot to think about while writing a song, Kirei," Artemis commented.

"Yeah seriously!" I giggled, "Have anything you want to add before we close this segment?"

Artemis whispered something into her ear. Kirei nodded a few times before she reclined back into her chair, "If you're willing to pay the damages, fine." she snapped her fingers and a H&K G36 (3) appeared in the younger assassin's hands, "Ya got five seconds before I start firing."

"Oh c'mon, Arty you can't take one joke?"

"Five…" the boy began counting. That was enough initiative for Orion to duck behind something to get his Berettas out. It began a shootout between the siblings. Kirei gave a sheepish laugh, "Sibling love, what can ya do? At least it wasn't Johan and Jazzlyn today. Well that's all for today, ja!"

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

_**Authoress' Notes:**_

_**1) Since most of you probably don't know what these are (hell, I don't know them either) here's a picture: http:/simplicity(dot)kokidokom(dot)net/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/phantom01-00(dot)jpg**_

_**2) http:/img(dot)redwolfairsoft(dot)com/upload/product/img/KSC-CUTLASS-DT1L(dot)jpg The only differences are that the grip is ivory instead of brown and the gun is black. **_

_**3) http:/www(dot)imfdb(dot)org/wiki/File:HKG36(dot)jpg**_


	16. Mission 14: In the Field

_Kirei: On a roll! On a roll! I'm excited that I can finally begin really drama on North Academia!_

_Johan: And skip doing the ever important character development._

_Kirei: You mean fillers. No one cares as long as they see some blood, violence, romance, tragedy, or secrets._

_Johan: What are you gonna add evil half-cousins or ex-show girls?_

_Kirei: Johan! Don't compare me to crazy soap operas! I'm much more tasteful._

_Jazzlyn: You mean nearly killing a bunch of teenagers on a icy wasteland._

_Kirei: Hey, you all live to see adulthood! Family Business was proof of that! Though I can't assure that when it comes to Family Secrets…_

_Johan: That's the possible name of the supposedly third and final story of the 'Family' series for those of you that don't know. Kirei thinks too far in the future and can't stay rooted to the present. Sorry about that._

_Jazzlyn: Kirei doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh GX or all the OC but she does own her own plot line._

_**Reviewers Response:**_

_Chrisandersenyuki:_ Johan: _Wonderful? We nearly got our covers blown! _

Kirei: _Why thank you and yes, it's funny how those two get along._

_ArrowTLC7:_Johan: _*eye twitch* That is a horror I never want to experience again…That was the ultimate humiliation._

Jazzlyn: _Blah, blah, blah your humiliation! I was made a pageant queen! That's the ultimate disgrace a girl can have! _

Johan: _Isn't that an honor?_

Jazzlyn: _Mom's probably having a fit wherever she is!_

_Oak-chan:_Kirei: _Why thank you! When I was left with that open book, I got giddy as teenager that was given a shopping spree! Those two are easily some of my favorite OC._

Artemis: _It's hard not to get violent. Even calmer people get annoyed by that guy._

Kirei: _Ouch, that's cold Artemis. And I admit that it songwriting is only a recent hobby that I picked back up. I'm much better than I was before at it. But then again I attribute that to getting better at 'being in character'._

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

**(Outside Student Commons)**

"I can't believe this crap, isn't nearly getting killed by this icy death trap once enough?" Lien complained as she was looking at the upcoming field trip to her friends present at the table. It primarily had freshmen as they had required physical education/health classes with a few juniors or seniors as their mentors. It was like a mid-term. The trip was a camping trip on a lower level of the plateau North Academia was seated on. All their upperclassmen jested how it was gonna be a night in a freezer.

La'Rae wondered, "Well, you could worm your way out of it if you pretend your asthma's acting up."

"And spend the time in the nurse's office? No thank you," her roommate replied. "Though I hear that there's a curse on that trip."

Orion moaned, "Don't tell me it's another one of those weird things on this castle of ice. Torrington's given us a taste of that. Don't tell me that we'll see the missing students' ghosts. Maybe that older brother of his would be there"

"I wouldn't say things like that," Johan chided the assassin lightly. Because there were some spirits that take offense to the mocking tones from 'non-believers'. Though it was also for the rudeness of the flippant comment. Sakura admonished, "Johan's right you know how that would rile Leo."

"What would rile me?" the said teenager asked as he came along with Rory and Jazzlyn. Johan quickly lied, "If you got lost in a snowstorm with Orion."

"That would setting up for a double homicide," Leon commented. "Are you talking about the gym field trip? I heard about that. They say that one year that one whole group went missing."

Jazzlyn was listening, not noticing the hand trying to reach for her fries. Suddenly her fork stabbed Orion's palm, forcing it to retreat. She said, "Whoa, you would think that after that they would ban it."

"The great Rory has listened to the whispering grapevines and have discovered that there are faculty members that are against that." the blonde reported in his flamboyant tone of voice. "But fear not for the trials of this journey for I shall be there, fair maidens, to provide shelter against the harsh weather of this bitter location."

All of the girls ignored this proclamation. Yuki swooned, "Ah I remember this trip. It was where I met my darling-" Johan and Jazzlyn both covered her mouth. Their friends were slightly confused by the gesture when Jazzlyn feigned, "Tell me about meeting your first boyfriend at a ski resort one more time, I gonna cut your tongue, Yuki."

"Wah? Noooo!" she cried, retracting and covering her mouth.

"I changed my mind," Jazzlyn got up, grabbing Yuki by her collar, "Let's go."

The yuki-onna, still oblivious to the Andersen twin's ploy, believed she was truly going to lose her tongue. She cried as she was drug into the building, "Please don't let me lose it! I will not do anything displeasing again! Andersen-san!"

Everyone sweat dropped as Johan stood up, "And that is my cue to make sure my sister isn't arrested for murder. See ya!" He disappeared inside after his sibling. All of the other students looked at each other. Lien commented, "And there they go again. I never heard of Yuki having a boyfriend and I'm pretty sure she said she met him on this trip."

"Weird since Yuki only transferred here a couple weeks ago," Miku added. Artemis quipped, "Ever consider that she meant that she went on a trip like ours? She did say she was from a ice-capped school."

"Still think it's strange…" Sakura replied.

Meanwhile, Johan and Jazzlyn were under the stairs along with Yuki. They could understand that she wasn't accustomed to 'normal' teenage life. However, as agents the twins had to ensure that they prevented her from contradicting the background Echo had constructed for her. Especially since it endangered _their_ case. .

"Yuki you've got to be careful about what you say," Johan scolded her gently. Jazzlyn nodded, "Yeah, it's hard enough with being extorted by assassins, but we definitely can't afford having anyone else suspicious of us. If all of them found out, not only could Johan and I be reassigned and we can't look for Mitsukageru."

Yuki began bowing furiously, "I'm really sorry. If it's to keep searching for Yoshiya-kun, I'll keep quiet. I'm sorry!" Both of the twins flushed at her exaggerated gesture, "Just stop doing that!"

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

**(Trail around North Academia)**

It wasn't particularly windy, yet it was still cold-making many freshmen complain. They huddled in pairs as their gym teacher, Mr. Ilesley, barked at his junior and senior volunteers to keep the newcomers from straying from the path. Loitering towards the back of the formation were our protagonists of this fanfic.

"You'd think that if we're going _down_ the hill, it'd get warmer. But it feels like the temperature is dropping," Kayla said, trying to keep her glasses from fogging and tripping over the ice. Johan helped her along as he glanced around. Kayla's words felt true. It _did_ feel colder as they went along and his WATCH even recorded the drops. That was strange, he noted as they continued their walk.

The teens were walking along the mountain pass. It was wide enough to fit at least four people side by side. However no one wanted to walk along the edges as there was an unknown cloudy drop. Upperclassmen assured that the drop wasn't as far as it appeared, even joking how some friends had been clumsy or foolish and fell over the side. Everyone stepped with relative ease.

Yuki halted slightly to feel the ground and the North students stopped, falling slightly behind the group. Jazzlyn crouched and asked in a low voice, "What's up, Yuki?"

"Bad presences," she whispered, her cheery voice gone. "Bad presences…underneath the surface. It's trailing the class. It's still moving with them."

"Could you delay whatever it is with your power?" Jazzlyn wondered. The yuki-onna nodded as they stood up. Yuki laughed, "Sorry, I'm still not any good with these snow boots. Shall we go?" They continued with the Andersen twins falling further behind in the ranks. Johan asked, "What did Yuki say?"

"There's something trailing our group," Jazzlyn whispered back. "Yuki's gonna try and stop them but I think we need to get off this mountain pass before-"

The wall of the mountain seemed to explode as rocks showered before the front of the expedition. Students began to panic and flee in terror. The bedlam confused the group since they were further behind. Then they could see it. A beast of some kind shoot out the mountainside. Pandemonium broke out as kids scrambled to get back up the pass. More monsters popped out, destroying more of the mountain pass and threatening to kill kids running.

The PAD understood that it was serious, but they weren't certain if they could do anything abnormal yet. Unfortunately, they didn't receive the chance to ponder as a harpy-like creature flew in the sky and opened it's mouth. It screeched, forcing anyone in it's hearing range to cover their ears. The ground beneath the twins began to crack and crumble. The chunk of land caved in-taking the NA crew with it.

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

**(?)**

Johan regained consciousness with a mind-splitting headache following afterwards. He grasped his head as he muttered, "It's only five meters or so. Those seniors don't know how to count…"

He sat up to examine his surroundings. Still in the snowy region of the Academia's plateau. But it seemed like he had fallen quite a bit with trees and brushes breaking his fall. His back felt sore from the abuse. He got onto his feet and began to search for someone. There was no way he was the only one that had fallen. In fact, if Johan calculated correctly, he and his companions were the ones that ended up plunging over the edge.

He checked his WATCH (yes, that's one durable accessory) to see if he could pinpoint his sibling. The blinking dot on the coordinate map gave him some comfort. It was silent with the exception of his boots crunching against the loosely packed snow and his calls into the chilly air.

"Hopefully we can find everyone before it gets too dark," Johan thought aloud to himself. He continued on the path until he could faintly see his sibling moving in another direction. The marksman picked up his pace to catch up with his sister. Jazzlyn turned to him with her jian drawn. She immediately put it down once she recognized him, "Johan. Ya nearly gave me a heart attack. What took you so long?"

"I think I was out for a few minutes. Where are you going?"

Jazzlyn showed him her WATCH. It displayed three dots. Two were the twins' location and the other was… "One of those things from the mountain had Rory. It was too fast for me to keep up but I did manage to tag it. I have the feeling that was planned and with a bunch of teenagers falling in an accident-"

"-makes it too easy to have more tallied as 'missing'," Johan finished her thought. This was both opportunity and misfortune. They were just given a chance to get to the bottom of the missing students case however they were possibly endangering their friends. Either way, the Andersen twins had to find where the creature disappeared.

The dot remained stationary, and they were uncertain if that was good or bad. They were led to a cave. Cautiously the pair entered with weapons ready. Both expected to enter into total darkness. Yet, lit torches lined the walls. Suddenly, darts flew.

SHING! BAM!

Darts clattered against the ground either cut in half or smashed.

CLAP. CLAP. CLAP.

Johan and Jazzlyn tensed as the sound echoed. Green eyes scrutinized for the source of the noise. Finally, they found it: a misty sphere. A voice spoke, "I'm impressed. Only 15 and are so well trained. I believe you'd live up to your infamy, Andersen twins."

"Funny how you seem to know us, but we don't know you," Jazzlyn retorted. Laughter answered her, "Of course, I wouldn't be able to continue my research if you knew who I am."

Johan demanded, "Where are our friends?"

"Safe, I assure you," the masculine voice informed the duo. "Though I'm not sure how long that will last. My creations tend to get…restless when there are new subjects." Johan scowled at the word 'creations', "Just what did you create…? Those monsters that attacked us?"

"Explore deeper and you just may find out."

Johan aimed his gun (1) at the orb. Jazzlyn put a hand on his, "Johan, he wants you riled up. Let's just go along with it so we can find everyone."

"Jazz, it's a trap," her sibling warned. She replied, "We don't have much of a choice."

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

The person speaking through the orb, turned away from the pool of water he used to communicate. He looked at his captives tied against stalagmites. It was relatively quiet with the exception of the sniveling of Rory, "Please do not kill me or any of these girls! Or at the very least not me!"

"It's official. Rory, you have all spine of a jellyfish," Leon deadpanned from where he was restrained. "And you're the _last_ guy I'd ever want to pair up with in a fight."

Ignoring the sarcastic remarks of her classmate, Miku wondered, "Why the hell do you have us here?"

"To lure your two companions here of course."

"Not to question your methods," Sakura quipped. "but if you really wanted to do that, then why didn't you send those…" she gave a sidelong glance to one of the insect-hybrids nestled in the corner, "'creations' after them? You got us easy enough."

Cackling came from the hooded figure before them, "You know nothing do you? Your compatriots are quite the actors to have duped you so long. Care to know what they're hiding?"

"And who's to say you're not lying?" Artemis pondered. The person approached him, "I could say the same for you. Lying is also a forte of yours." The hood kept the male from seeing the glare that was directed towards him. Instead he wandered back to the cauldron holding the water from before. He uttered-to the captive students-nonsense. Smoke rose from the liquid to form a haze. It worked like a projector to show the scene.

Jazzlyn and Johan were running down the only passage available. They came upon walls with many agape statue heads. Both paused. Johan grabbed a rock on the ground and tossed it forward. Fire flew from the statues' mouth. They had stripped out of their winter wear and used the coat like a sled to slide across the floor-avoiding the rows of fire.

"Honestly, these guys do not have any creativity, do they?" Jazzlyn asked her brother. "It's like being that American adventurer with the bullwhip." Their movements halted and the twins began sinking. Quicksand. It trapped them to their just below their waist. Jazzlyn grabbed the coil of rope on her hip. She made a lasso and threw it onto a stalagmite located on the other side of the quicksand. The teenager pulled herself out before throwing it her sibling. Once he was asked, "You mean Indiana Jones?"

"That one," she answered, rewrapping her rope before they continued.

While the jailer was occupied with Johan and Jazzlyn's antics, a certain brunette whispered to his roommate, "Orion, I need you to reach into my pants."

"What? I was joking before but now I think you really do swing that way," the assassin replied. They were tied back to back with the stalagmite separating them. Leon, if he could, would've face palmed, "Your stupidity astounds me. I'm tied where I can't reach my jeans and in my back pocket is a box cutter. Try to reach for it."

"I thought blades were forbidden on campus," Orion lowered his voice as his hands moved. Leon answered, "It's not forbidden to a student that works for the campus." The assassin smirked, "I'll admit, you're more sly than I thought."

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

_Kirei: God that was the crappiest chapter I ever made. I'm soooooooo tired._

_Johan: She's writing this at midnight after two days of crashing at 6 in the morning. She's done for._

_**Authoress Notes:**_

1) This is one of the Johan's preferred guns: http:/www(dot)imfdb(dot)org/wiki/File:ColtMKIVSeries80(dot)jpg

_And since I owe you…The rest of 'The Hangover':_

The trio of guys were gathered around a table fore breakfast. Each were trying to recover from their hangover with different methods. Orion tried waking up from sleeping pills he (according to the half empty bottle of aspirin) took the night before. Johan was probably not only hung over but also hyped on all the coffee he drank. Leon finished a sour plum before reporting, "I asked all around but no one's seen Artemis."

Johan was rocking back in forth in a chair, accidentally kicking Orion in his shin. The assassin fell back against the ground. The bluenette noticed a wristband on him, "Hey you were in the hospital last night."

(Hospital)

Lien, the doctor, turned to both guys, "Yes, you were here last night."

"Was there another guy here?" Leon wondered. She nodded, "He looked like this one only gloomier."

Johan asked, "Was he okay?"

"Nuts as hell but otherwise, yes," she rubbed her temples at the memory. They exhaled as the brunette called, "Bloody hell we were caned (_UK English: intoxicated_)…"

(Chapel)

The guys arrived at the reception desk, "Is there anything you could tell us about what happened?" They were shown pictures, making Leon flush. Johan brightly said, "Congratulations, Leo, you got hitched!"

"That's not anything to celebrate…" All three went to see Leo's 'wife', Mikaila, "So…what do you do?"

She said almost laughing, "I'm a stripper." Orion did a spit take before laughing, "Way to go, Torrington."

(Police Station)

La'Rae, who was a police officer, was talking to a group of teenagers with Orion and Johan at the front while their friend awaited at the back. She informed in an almost gleeful tone, "These gentlemen today will demonstrate how a stun gun works."

The duo turned to each other, "Wait, what?"

Little Kayla was chosen to fire the stun gun. It would've been a normal shot…if she were taller. Unfortunately for the guy, it was too near a precious male body part. They writhed on the floor while Leon cringed for them.

_It was the night of their lives…_

_If only they could remember_

_(Title credit: The Hangover)_

_The men looked over to see the owner of the house, "Mike Tyson?"_

"_Hold up, this is the best part," he air drummed the beat before decking the poor PAD. The two still conscious bit their finger. Orion commented, "Whoa, he still got it."_


	17. Extra 2: Rory and Kayla

_Kirei: At this rate, I'll finish all the character songs before the end of the kids' freshman year._

_Johan: Isn't that a good thing?_

_Kirei: I guess…though I've been lazy with making them lately._

_Jazzlyn: Probably because of summer vacation. She's been lazy as hell._

_Kirei: Nuh-uh! I've been working…some. Hey! It's summer, I can do what I want!_

_Andersen twins: Anyway~Kirei does actually own these OC and lyrics but not the music that it goes along with. _

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

"Yes! Finally! It is fixed!" Kirei called triumphantly as she gazed upon her set. Unfortunately her last guests had completely shot the systems. That's both literally and figuratively. It was all paid for though all of the money coming from a certain Osiris assassin's bank account. Kirei could actually afford to buy the more hi-tech stuff (though she doesn't know how to use any of them). Her new guests weren't as…lethal…as her previous. In fact they were the most normal of the bunch-making this a long day for Kirei.

"So let's get on with this!" the authoress cried. "Please introduce yourselves and please tell me about your names."

"Anything for a beautiful lady," the guy answered, causing me to sweat drop, "I am the great Rory Saul Ashford. My first name that of a famous ruler and my middle name mean 'longed-for' as I recall the many maidens I cannot attend to a one time. And my last name-"

"-Is actually as spur of the moment choice! Ashford literally is 'lives by ashes' or 'ford of the ashes'. Honestly, I used the name as a reference to Code Geass. It's the name of a aristocratic house that Lelouch's friend, Milly, is the daughter of. I just thought it went with the rich air," Kirei admitted. "Now go on darling."

"I-I-I am Kayla Vinaya Barnett," the girl shyly replied. However she began stuttering so much Kirei had to translate, "Kayla means 'pure' since Kayla is actually very naïve to a lot of romantic and sexual concepts. Thus why when she's told about innuendos, she turns red in the face. Her middle name is 'good behavior' since she is the most well-behaved out of all the NA girls. Finally Barnett is also a spur of the moment name. It was one that sounded like Annie's (the little orphan Annie) real last name. But it means noble. Moving on, you two are the only ones that don't have any strange past nor weird abilities, so what do ya do?"

"Um…actually I'm a-" the red-haired girl softly spoke and was easily overpowered by the boisterous voice of her classmate, "We are merely supporters of outspoken decisions and the water and sunlight to the buds of love."

Kirei had to decipher what he said and when she did she asked, "So basically you listen to everyone and give them love advice?"

"Precisely," Rory answered.

"Alright well do you have clubs you're in with some of the NA gang?" Kirei asked, lounging in her chair. The withdrawn girl opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted once more by the guy, "The magnificent Rory participates in all club activities especially student council with Ms Kayla and cooking club where many females gather and together we-"

"Please just stop there," their interviewer put her hand up, rubbing her temple with the other. "Kayla, what about you? I'm sure you're in some clubs with your friends."

"I'm in one club for everyone," she twisted a lock of her hair, her face red. "I am in student council with Rory. I participate in NA TV with Jazzlyn as well as work as audio and set engineer for the light music club alongside Miku, Lien, and La'Rae. I also am in orchestra with Johan, Artemis, and Kyoko. Then nearly all of us create the 'fight club'."

"Wow~You're really proactive," Kirei commented clapping for taking on such a feat. The girl stuttered, "N-Not really…I jus-s-st work behind the scenes. I cannot stand to do anything in front of crowds…"

"Cute and modest," the authoress cooed, causing the petite girl to redden further. She smiled as reclined, "So you're the love advice people, but do you like someone?"

Rory got out of his seat, took Kirei's hand, and kissed it. She had to restrain herself from beating the boy senseless. However he didn't' seem to notice her scowl as he proclaimed with sparkles and rose coming out of nowhere in the background, "My lady allow me to explain myself with song…"

A guitar in a latino tune began to play. (A/N: This song used is 'Cool ni nare'. It is Keiichi Maebara's character song form Higurashi. Either look it up or use this link: http:/youtu(dot)be/FCOYBDXYA4M ) The lights all of a sudden went off, confusing Kirei because she swore she paid the utility bill. When the guitar changed tune a spotlight came on, illuminating Rory who miraculous changed outfits. He was now in a flamboyant green, white, and black flamenco outfit with a red rose in his mouth. By now, Kirei was sweat dropping while Kayla seemed just stunned.

Drums came in before a short break. He went up to the mic and when you expect a slow serenade…

"_Melting cold hearts _

_With my flames of love,_

_Come now beautiful maiden_

_A lovely charming smile,_

_Truly no flower can compare_

_Even I pale next to you_

_I must be in heaven because you are an angel_

_Or maybe I'm in hell and you are a demon in disguise._

_My heart pounds with anxiety,_

_Or is it unmatchable passion?_

_Being surrounded by such girls so divine_

_Please don't be shy precious princess_

_Your charming prince has arrived at last_

_No one can harm us while in this embrace_

_For they cannot overcome a love so pure_

_Keep on burning! Our flames of love!_

_Te amo y no orta senorita!_

_Keep on burning! Our flames of love!_

_This is my declaration of my amor!_

_I beg you don't take this lightly,_

_My affections for you_

_Take to heart my confessional_

_I apologize for this impulsive manner,_

_My mind should know better_

_But, I can no longer hide this yearning for you_

_I see you laughing with that melodic voice,_

_Mischief is hidden in that amused expression_

_Are you actually before me _

_Or are you the cruel moonlight's alluring illusion?_

_You must be an enchanting witch,_

_Since your hypnotic attraction has enraptured my soul_

_If you are my end then I am glad,_

_For there is no better sight_

_Keep on burning! Our flames of love!_

_Daisuki desu, ohime-sama_

_Keep on burning! Our flames of love!_

_I beg for this love never to die!_"

"_Ah, too many girls…I cannot choose_!" Rory swooned. But Kirei was somewhat concerned since only she and Kayla were in the room. She imagined he was in his own fantasy world by now while the instrumental went on…And her suspicions were confirmed when he was complimenting invisible people, "_Ah Miss you are like a blooming rose. Oh but you here are like luminous crystal_…"

Kirei sighed, "Oi vey…"

"_My heart has been torn to shreds_

_I love you all, young lasses…_

_Having me make the decisions…_

_It's something I cannot do!_

_Keep on burning! Our flames of love!_

_Te amo y no otra senorita!_

_Keep on burning! Our flames of love!_

_Si je suis aime, je suis content!_

_Keep on burning! Our flames of love!_

_Daisuki desu, ohime-sama_

_Keep on burning! Our flames of love!_

_Please kindle it with care_

_Keep on burning! Our flames of love!_

_This is my declaration of my love!_

_Keep on burning! Our flames of love!_

_I beg for this love never to die!_

_Keep on burning…Our flames of love…_

_Keep on burning…Our flames of love…_"

He came off the stage. His friend flushed as he walked over to the weirded out authoress. Rory took her hand once again. It seems he just doesn't learn, "_I am serious, mademoiselle, this confession of mine rings true. You have stolen my heart. I have swooned at your-Wait, where are you going?_"

Kirei had escaped and found her tranquilizer. She cocked it, scaring the guy as she aimed, "_Oi, enough of this nonsense already._"

"_No mi amor_!"

The darts came and he fell over, asleep, "_Ow_…"

"My god what a pervert," the girl sighed before turning to the camera, "Rory's song, if you didn't figure it out, is called 'Our Flames of Love'. As one of the only NA characters with non-serious past nor present, I decided to make Rory's song one of the only funny solo character songs (whenever I feel like, I'll also do some with multiple characters singing together). Oh and I have to do some translating…

1) Te amo y no otra senorita: This is Spanish for 'I love you and no other miss'.

2) Si je suis aime je suis content: French for 'If I am loved, I am content'

3) Daisuki desu, ohime-sama: I like (like like) you, princess (it is also interpreted as 'I love you'. Like what you'd see young kid/teen characters say)

Basically it's about how throughout the series he is infatuated with women and he's definitely has tried to charm the girls of the NA crew. They're the only reason he hangs around their little group since he normally doesn't associate with the outcasts, recluses, or 'weirdoes'. He actually finds it a challenge as all the protagonist girls do not show any form of love towards him other than a friend. So while he's out, Kayla, why not strut your stuff?"

"Um…could Rory be revived before I start?" she asked pushing her index fingers against each other. Kirei raised a brow, glancing over to Rory-who had started dreaming about his favorite subject-then replied, "No."

"A-Alright…" the girl quietly answered. She sounded almost disappointed. Kayla went up, almost tripping over the wires in the process. The small teen tried adjusting the mic stand. It screeched as it slid down to her height. Her glasses glared against the light and in fact blinding her. Only Kirei was watching but she started quivering, "Miss Kirei, I-I can't do this…"

"Yes you can and will," Kirei replied, "Just take those glasses off. You won't be able to see anyone."

Kayla called, "I can't do that…"

"Oh right, well then I'll do what your friends do for you…Ganbatte Kayla-chan! You know you got it! C'mon Kayla!" Kirei rooted for her. Finally, Kayla was calm enough to start. The music started playing (The song used is 'One More Chance'. This is Karen (Kallen)'s character song from Code Geass. Again either look it up or copy and paste the link: http:/youtu(dot)be/YDXON8jAfcI )

"_I see you and I pause-simply stunned_

_My hear begins to race,_

'_Will you notice me?'_

_You pass without a word while I'm stuck speechless_

_Oh darn, failed again, but I will not give up_

'_Get up and start again', my friends they cheer me on,_

_Step by step, I feel I'm getting closer_

'_Do your best', thank you for the support_

_I will win your heart, someday you'll see…_

_My first love, it's so exciting_

_To be in love with love-that puppy love_

_My first love, learning what is affection_

_Having 'first' everything_

_That innocent love_

_I glance at you in class-blushing when I'm caught_

_My notebook's full of hearts with our names inside_

_I've gotten nowhere_

'_How long will it last?'_

_Maybe days? Maybe weeks? I don't have a clue_

'_Next time for sure', my friends they comfort me_

_I know you mean the best, but I keep on failing_

'_Give it your all, you'll succeed definitely'_

_Definitely maybe, this is a trial…_

_My first love, sometimes it's difficult_

_Being seen as 'just a friend' -that secretive love_

_My first love, my bliss and my burden,_

_It's disheartening_

_This unrequited love_

_Some days I believe it's all for nothing…_

_Then your words and smile gives me hope…_

_My first love, sometimes it's difficult_

_Being seen as 'just a friend' -that secretive love_

_My first love, my bliss and my burden,_

_It's disheartening_

_This unrequited love_

_My first love, it's so exciting_

_To be in love with love-that puppy love_

_My first love, learning what is affection_

_Having 'first' everything_

_That innocent love"_

"_That was so sweet," Kirei answered then face palmed, "…and that was meant for him wasn't it?"_

_Kayla merely fidgeted her fingers. The authoress hit her head against the armrest, "OW…Remember how I said Kayla is naïve to a lot of romantic and sexual things? Well, her song, My First Love, is about her falling in love and trying to figure out how to get his attention. Which I screwed up yet again…Sorry, Kayla."_

"_It's alright…" she told her. "I'll figure out some other way…"_

_I patted her shoulder, "Atta girl. We're outta time but join me when I have yet another character session. Ja ne!"_


	18. Mission 15: Search and Rescue?

_Kirei: Yeah…I have no idea why but all my mind can think about is this fanfic and thus I'm abusing all my others._

_Johan: Probably because you want it to get to the 'good bits' soon. Which means pain and agony for us._

_Kirei: No it doesn't._

_Johan: Kirei, think of one moment that you really want to write that doesn't involve some physical, mental, or emotional pain._

_Kirei: Well there's-no, no I almost killed him…Then there's-shoot, he _was_ dead….Or what about-crap, that was heartbreaking…_

_Johan: See? You only love the misery-_

_Kirei: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh GX nor all the OC! But, I do own the plot!_

_Johan: There you go aga-_

_**Reviewers Response:**_

_Oak-chan:__ Ehehehe…I'm a elemental weirdo…I learn about things related to the various elements. Actually I thought of some cool scene for them to do based off that…but that's for another day. It's very funny about the pants part since in the UK-as I found from one of my online friends- 'pants' usually refers to underwear…so I was originally gonna have Leo say, "I thought you said you didn't understand English."_

_And I'm not very good at writing songs…_

_Chrisandersenyuki:_Jazzlyn:_ Of course we don't want our secret to be revealed. Though at this rate, it's useless…_

Orion: _That was worsse than any torture I endured…_

Johan: _Ow~~I think I broke my coccyx_

Kirei: _Spoilers to anyone that gets the aforementioned reference! Oh and for those of you that didn't guess when I made the reference in "Miss North Academia", the anime was Shugo Chara._

_ArrowTLC7:_

Kirei: _You gotta give them credit. They only kill humans. Other beings are technically out their league._

Artemis:_ Actually, we killed quite a few. We just ran out of bullets. _

Kirei: _*anime fall* Never mind…_

Jazzlyn: _No I did not._

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

**(Mysterious Cave)**

"Johan, I'm suspicious," Jazzlyn admitted to him as they were jumping from floating platforms over a gorge. Her brother was slightly ahead of her. He leapt the distance from the last platform to the other side and held his hand out for his sibling. She jumped without taking his hand. Johan clicked his tongue as they continued down the only direction they could go, "You mean the straight path to villain's lair or the lack of henchmen around?"

"Both," she answered, "I'm pretty certain that whoever made this cave is the one in charge of whatever pushed us off that godforsaken cliff. If they control those things…then why aren't there a lot crawling around?"

Johan already stated why before but reiterated, "It's a trap. They're purposely leading us down here and I don't doubt that they'll have something waiting…especially if they already know who we are."

"What is this 'they' business?" the person from before asked from yet another one of those orbs within this cavern, "There is only me. But, I must say I'm still impressed.. I look forward to when we meet since so many before you have proven to be…lacking as entertainment."

"You find killing off other people entertaining? You're a sick sonvabitch," Jazzlyn called. The figure answered, "You call it sick, I find it to be an art."

While the guy talking, a certain assassin just finished cutting through the last of the rope. It fell slack, "Torrington, you have to hold the rope to look like we're still tied up."

"Why?" it was the brunette's turn to ask. Orion explained, "Cause, he could catch us since we're the only two loose, but if we get everyone else untied then escape, we have a higher chance of getting away."

Leon complied while the assassin managed to toss the box cutter to the pair next to him: La'Rae and Miku. They didn't waste any time starting to cut at their bindings. Artemis glanced down to where his brother was-their captor was certain to keep the twins separated-and noticed him using something to cut at the rope. He didn't expect him to try so soon, but since Orion was already working on getting out, Artemis couldn't afford to dally either. He brought his legs closer to his abdomen so he could reach into the sole (yes, the sole) of his snow boots. He pulled out his ballistic knife.

"Who are you? Alex Rider (1)?" Sakura, the person he was tied up with, asked. Artemis started to slice at their bindings, "I'm not English and I think working for the government would make me sick." If she weren't in a creepy remote place being held against her will, Sakura would've laughed, "But seriously, why do you have a knife in your shoes?"

"I lived up close to nature since I was a kid. Old habits die hard," he curtly replied, slightly agitated he kept being distracted. Sakura managed to take the blade from him and cut through the ropes easily, "You could ask for help you know."

Artemis didn't reply as he passed his blade to Lien and Kyoko. They were starting when their captors turned towards them. The teenagers managed to hide the blades in time to keep their jailer oblivious. He said nothing, instead heading to one of the multiple entrances. He whistled and a beast came to his call. It looked eerily similar to Assault Gundog. The cloaked figure ordered, "Make sure they do not leave."

The creature settled at the door and shut its eyes while the freed students went to help their tied companions. They broke a couple of pieces of stalagmite, causing the beast to open an eye. Kyoko asked, "Uh…guys? Any idea how to distract a giant dog like that?"

"Throw him a bone and make a break for it?" La'Rae suggested. The younger Undine took off his coat and retrieved his knife. At this point it was decided that they had to use their assassination skill or end up dead. He sighed, "A mutt's a mutt. It shouldn't matter its size." He glanced around the area, studying the surroundings and memorizing them. Then he moved to the center of the circular and whistled-catching the canine's attention. Miku wondered, "Artemis are you suicidal?"

He wasn't given the opportunity to answer as the oversized dog charged at him. The assassin took off towards the wall behind him. Jumping onto two jutting stones as a leverage, Artemis jumped to grasp a ledge made of stalactite. The assault gundog hybrid rammed into the wall, crushing thick columns of rock. The teenager hung there for a moment, assessing his situation.

"Are you seriously letting your brother fight that?" Lien incredulously voiced to the elder of the siblings. Orion replied, "What can I say? When it's serious, that guy's reckless, but then again, so am I." he whistled to it, "Here boy! Over here! I'll play with you."

It turned as its fur bristled as its ears went back. The dog's mouth widened to show the razor-like teeth it possessed while orange-gold eyes narrowed in animosity. He matched the challenge by not stepping down against it and urging the monster on. It leapt to begin a stride. However it paused mid-jump as Artemis dropped from his perch and was riding the dog like a horse. He put his jacket over its eyes. The creature went nuts bucking and veering left and right. While it was distracted, Orion circled around it toward the debris. He grabbed a large rock while his brother steered the monster toward him. When it was in front of him, the rock was thrust into the beast's mouth. It shook violently, trying to expel it. Artemis did not make it easy as he removed the jacket from its eyes and used it as reigns. Finally the fight was brought to a close as Orion managed to reach into the assault gundog's mouth-grabbing its maw-before he slid underneath it.

CRACK!

The snap could be heard through the silence that descended at the moment it happened. Orion ended up behind the canine after breaking its jaw. Struggling ceased, allowing Artemis the time to dismount off the monster before it toppled over. It whimpered in submission and agony. Their friends gaped. The stunts the assassin pulled didn't seem human to them. The shock was still present as the duo returned to where the teenagers were standing. They both were slightly wounded-Orion with a multitude of gashes and torn flesh from reaching in the dog's mouth and Artemis sustaining deep bite marks from bull-riding the oversized mongrel.

"What was that? And don't say 'what was what?' or that it was dumb luck," Sakura demanded. The Lunar Death Twins slipped back into their normal personas. Artemis only shrugged while his brother answered, "That was survival skills of a hunter in the wild. And that…was the hungry bear."

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

"This seems endless. What if he already killed them?" Johan queried as he went down the pathway, keeping in front of his sister. Fraternal instincts. Jazzlyn considered it but thought, "I doubt it. If he killed our friends, he knows we'd lose our motivation to come after him-exactly what he wants. Besides I wouldn't doubt anyone's skills and if those guys are with them, they'll be fine."

The pathway opened up to a large dome-shaped cavern. Their previous path became blocked by rock. Both detectives were alert as another entrance opened. The figure was recognized as the person that had set up spell circles around the school. Johan and Jazzlyn held their weapons firmly while the man appeared lackadaisical towards them, "Welcome, Andersen twins. I must say it is an honor to meet the children of parents so infamous. Especially that fa-"

"We didn't come here to discuss family trees with you," Johan cut him off, holding his gun at him. "Where are our friends?"

"Safe down the path behind me," he spoke casually towards them. A half-human half-snake creature slithered from down the path and stood at the door. Accompanying it was a dark-colored, ram-headed humanoid. Both looked like mindless drones in costumes. Jazzlyn whispered to her brother, "Johan, the snake's Reptiless Vasuki."

"And Kyoko has the other one. It's the Sorcerer of Sparta," Johan told her. Both recognized the guards as duel monster cards. Johan thought of the poor spirit he encountered. He whispered, "he transformed them…" he accused, "You used magic to make those things from duel monsters and students!"

"Very deductive though not completely correct. I'm sorry to say."

KA-BLAM!

A shield reflected the bullet. Smoke rose from the barrel of Johan's gun, while tongue clicking could be heard, "Temper temper…I didn't even tell you _how_ I did it." Neither wanted to hear how it was done. Jazzlyn drew symbols in the air, "Brimstones' essence reduce all from earth to ashes!"

She conjured fire around her sword. The girl jumped into the air and swung against the shield. Jazzlyn managed to burn through the shield while her sibling fired rounds through the hole. It pierced their opponent. The man quickly regained his calm and held out his hand. Lightning emitted, striking the twins.

Johan fired his gun at columns to make them collapse and kick up dust. The sight became hazy for anyone without 'special eyes'. That probably meant Jazzlyn and the madman. Coughing only confirmed his suspicion. His eyes easily found his target, "Strengthen the lance that pierces the corrupt tria prima." Energy tingled through his fingers into his gun. The bullet whizzed faster than normal. He managed to get in three shots before his magazine was empty. Johan allowed it to fall on the floor and he slipped a new one from the inside of his pants. He hissed, "Don't just stand there get them!"

That was Johan's signal to start moving. He heard the hissing of the Reptiless Vasuki entering in the field. Quietly he crept when a rock was kicked from under his boot. Mentally cursing the PAD tried to move from the spot when a scaly tentacle wrapped around his ankle. Johan was swept off his feet and hanging upside down in front of the creature. He had the perfect shot but couldn't bring himself to shoot. Transformed or not, this was a kid. He withheld his attack to try to reach for his other gun. Jazzlyn was lost in the dust when she was a floating blob heading towards her. With her sword she lashed out, meeting the staff of the Sorcerer of Sparta. His eyes glowed, meaning he was about to send down lightning to strike. Her eyes widened. If this was student, it wasn't a bright one, "Wait, you'll kill us both!"

BOOM!

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

"Tell me again why we're going the same direction as the guy that's trying to _kill_ us?" Rory demanded as the group went along. Their path was illuminated by a torch they stole from the wall. It was cramped as they walked so complaining did not help the situation. Artemis finally replied, "Because, Ashford, follow that guy, he'll lead us straight to Andersen."

"But wasn't he talking about killing them too? We should turn back," he was beginning to turn when he stepped on some toes. Lien grabbed him and pushed him back in the right direction. This time neither of the assassins answered. Sakura thought aloud, "We have no idea where the other paths take us. At least the way that we're going, we have an idea of what to do since Jazzlyn and Johan already got through them."

All around were strangely shaped holes all in the ceiling and few in the walls. They looked like…holes that some creature-maybe an oversized mole-dug their dwellings. No one dared to find out. After what seemed like hours, they found light. It grew brighter. Everyone was ordered to get down. They were on the floor in time to miss the grunt of an explosion. Something hit the wall, "Maldita sea! Yo mataria tu, idioto! _(Spanish: Goddammit! I'm going to kill you, idiot!)_"

The speaking was so rapid only those that knew the language knew what was said, however all recognized the voice that spoke it, "Jazz!"

A sword came dangerously closer to piercing Kayla. The poor girl saw the blade and nearly fainted. Jazzlyn emerged in the doorway dust-covered and singed but otherwise alright, "Whoa, my bad, I thought you were more of those creatures. At least you're safe." A cry was heard before her brother crashed into her. Johan informed, "He called in reinforcements."

"Andersen tell me you have something to let us fight those off," Orion asked both siblings. They looked at each other then glanced back at the assembly of monsters coming to their master's aide. They could use all the help they could get. Johan and Jazzlyn uncovered their WATCH from under their sleeve, "WATCH, Inventory release."

There was a flash of light and pile of weapons. Nearly everyone gaped. Miku asked, "Where'd did all those come from?" the two showed the device on their wrist. Leon commented, "That's physically impossible."

A Demon's Summon hybrid slashed the air, causing energy waves to fly at them. The twins cast simultaneously, "Freya, aid my magic and expand my armor to create a shield!" their spell created a barrier to rebound the attack. They held out a hand and Johan impatiently replied, "Yeah yeah we'll save the physics lessons for later. But for now just pick up something you can use. This shield won't hold for long."

As if to prove it, creatures began banging against the barrier. It held steady for the first few but began to bend with the attacks. Left with no other choice the students began to scourge for a weapon. The assassin immediately took up the guns they were most familiar with. La'Rae took up a battle axe while her roommates grabbed trench knives and neko-te. Both Leon and Miku held swords-one borrowed from Jazzlyn's hand. Kyoko used a staff and Sakura found a crossbow. They had to force Rory to pick up something. Yuki asked them to allow her to use her powers. They agreed, dropping the shield. Yuki inhaled then exhaled icy air that froze the front bunch of monsters. From the haze the PAD noticed their target was trying to slip away, "We gotta catch him."

Ice rose from the ground to make stairs and block some of their attackers. They reached to where they could see over the crowd. The man was making a break and already halfway across the room. Johan used the grapple in his WATCH to attach to the ceiling and swing the distance-bowling over his mark in the process. Johan demanded, "Give up and we won't have to go any further."

"Oh young Andersen, I'm only just beginning," as soon as he said that one of the creatures doubled over. It started to puff up like a balloon. Johan grabbed the person's cloak, "Damn you, what the hell did you do?" All he could see was the demented grin, "Transformation does get old, you have to…shake it up sometimes."

The being puffed further before it shrunk. It was sucked into a vortex of energy spinning wildly out of control. By sucking in more of the missing students, the size increased and the gales increased. At this point the mutants were fleeing from its devastation. Though the whirlwind didn't lift any of the NA crew, they were affected by the cyclone. Lien sunk to her knees, "Cuc _(Vietnamese: Shit)_…just what is that? It feels like it's sucking the life outta ya."

"That's so sick…" Jazzlyn seemed worn out not from the vortex but from a realization. She looked uneasy at the sight. Leon queried, "Jazz, just what is that?" She shivered, "That…that…evil is a life energy vacuum that works double as a time bomb."

"Time bomb? Andersen, couldn't have told us earlier?" Orion demanded. She replied, "If you intended to get away, that'd do no good."

"So we're screwed?"

"Not exactly…" the PAD frankly responded as she drew a few ofuda from her sleeves. Holding out her index and middle finger she recited, "Shuku do sho." The paper crackled and crumpled before reforming into foxes, "Set up a rebound circle. Quickly." The vixen dashed off to do their master's bidding. She turned to her roommates, "And I need you to lend me your energy."

Two pairs of blue eyes stared quizzically at their friend and wondered, "How do we do that?"

"Just hold my hand." Her palm was offered, which both hesitantly laid their hands on hers. Jazzlyn other extended her other hand towards the cyclone, "I praise your name on high, Eostre, precious goddess, and plead for your aid to return the marred to its tabula rasa."

A light blue light glowed from the seal she created. The light illuminated the trio as an bubble began to encase the energy. Johan was slightly distracted by the tornado whizzing behind him. He was thrown off before a giant spear was summoned. The marksman dodged it however it was like a boomerang. Yet on the return the spear multiplied into six. Green eyes widened as he flipped out the way when one caught him in the calf and stuck him to the ground. The last pierced his shoulder. He screamed before blood came out his mouth.

"Johan!" Jazzlyn called him. Her concentration was fading, causing the shield to begin deteriorating. Instincts was telling her to run to his side. But a firm hold on the detective's hand kept her from going, "Andersen, you have to keep focus. If you don't put that shield up-according to you-none of us will be surviving."

Jazzlyn didn't know what was more surprising-the fact she had to be told to keep her head on the job or that she was being lectured by Orion. Ruefully she nodded and turned her attention on the barrier. Meanwhile, Miku and Kyoko went over to their wounded companion. Shining bright with blood stains the spears held tight to their victim. Each girl grabbed the handle of a spear. It burned on their hands but they endured the pain to pull out the weapons. Both breathed a sigh when a force rammed them against the ground. Johan was on them. He blushed and managed a sheepish laugh, "Sorry, but I don't think you wanna feel what I did. That really hurt."

The spear wasn't aimed for either of the girls; it was meant for the caster of the shield. It hit its mark square in the back. Jazzlyn coughed blood, but persisted with spell. Both guys supported her to keep from falling. The explosion was nearly done when the master of the cave seemed fed up with the group's ability to get back up after an attack. He made a rise notion. From the ground two spires arose with numerous holes. Both spun like screws before a cocking sound could be heard. Millions of needle-like beams shot form the spires' depths. Beams rained down, striking everyone in the vicinity but the hooded man. Yuki stumbled onto her feet and held her hands up. Moisture in the air started to gather and freeze. She created millions of ice shards. Ice met heat, creating steam. It combated them successfully but of course, evil never fights fairly. Both turrets were reloaded before Yuki could reform her ice shards. All the beams were shot with no way to guard against it.

Suddenly a black blur wrapped around all the students. It circled the teenagers until the barrage ceased. The blackness disappeared, revealing a pissed off figure. He shook his head, staring towards the ceiling, "Foolishly resilient as always, aren't we? You never learn."

Eyes wandered toward what he was talking to. Lurking into the darkness of the ceiling were a pair of golden reptilian spheres. The eyes, unlike other drones they fought, shone with vigor and contained various emotions, "You didn't seem to mind the lot before, what makes this one so different?" Though his eyes weren't visible, everyone could sense his eyes wandering, "I see…so that's why. Well, it has been fun but I see you're at the end of your rope. After all, protection spells have the harshest rebounds."

"Rebounds?" Kayla repeated.

"The price of using magic. It uses the magic ability but overdraw that ability…it'll destroy the body as a remuneration," It was true but neither sibling dared showed it. Jazzlyn answered, "That must mean you're at the end of the line too. Casting without words takes a heavy toll."

"Unlike you I am well-trained," the person was lackadaisical about it. He summoned three spheres that hovered above his palm. They spun about and gradually expanded. The PAD had to raise yet another barrier or end up prey to the madman. However, Johan had overtaxed his magic and Jazzlyn had nearly reached her limit. They only were given seconds for a decision. Light blinded, deafened, and numbed the teens. When it died down, everyone was nearly unscathed.

Jazzlyn moved her hand from her brother's grip. He lost consciousness from the rebounds combined with blood loss. He was probably the worst off, but none of their friends were doing much better. The PAD made her decision, "You all have to leave now. I'll can deal with this guy until then."

"No way, Jazz," La'Rae argued. All her friends protested. Jazzlyn begged, "Please…you have to. Johan will die if he doesn't get medical attention. That can't happen at _his_ mercy. Please…he's the only brother I have. I'm begging you…"

It was a shock to all the duelists. Jazzlyn and Johan got along like any other pair of siblings. They fought and got along when it was possible. However it was rare to see them so concerned towards one another. And even rarer to see their tomboy friend beg. With some reluctance they agreed, "But what about you?"

She managed a small smile, "I won't die. Now go."

"What makes you think they'll escape?" Jazzlyn kicked up her sword from the ground and held against the man, "That's easy. Sanctus Barre!" A pulse of energy flowed to protect the escapees and after they had disappeared, the younger Andersen sealed the exit by collapsing it, "because if you can't go after them, they'll be fine."

"Gutsy and feisty," her opponent complimented as he summoned a scythe. Both contenders knew they couldn't fight for long but unless they took up the challenge now, their fate would be sealed, "I'm looking forward to your skill, Miss Andersen."

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

Once the entryway collapsed, the North students were on their own. Armed with the weapons they had and Johan's WATCH, the group had to battle their way out. It didn't help that one was unconscious either. Prospects seemed dim.

Suddenly they could hear a scraping noise. It reminded one of nails on a chalkboard. In reality though it was talons scratching on the cavern walls. Weapons were drawn to prepare for a fight. However, all that could be seen was blackness…until two golden orbs appeared in the darkness. These orbs were the eyes they noticed earlier. Wary, the crew stepped away from it, only for it to step forward.

"Are we going to continue this all night or are you going to escape?" the creature finally wondered. Bulging eyes were directed at the being. Rory stuttered, "Y-Y-You can talk?"

It, or rather he, rolled his eyes, "Of course, I was in high school before this all happened. Now c'mon, before he sends his favorites after you." everyone looked baffled. Again the entity appeared to be annoyed. A gust blew, collecting all the students and flying.

The transformed student was scaly. He also was longer than what an average student size would be. His body was serpentine and lanky. It became obvious. The guy was a dragon.

He must've been familiar with the cavern as he weaved through holes and passages with precision and speed. Lefts, rights, and ups were all directions he took. It was unlike the path the PAD encountered, "I wish I could show you this route but I'm afraid we don't have the time. You could take it for when you come back for your friend."

"How do you know we'll come back?" Sakura challenged.

"I can just feel it. You'll come back," the dragon 'prophesized', "and I'll assure you, she'll still be alive whenever you regroup. Unfortunately, that bastard has taken a liking to her. Something about psychic ability, or something like that. If he doesn't, I will ensure she's alright-as long as I'm not dead by then."

"Dead?"

He wasn't given the chance to reply as they reached the starry skies and chilly temperature. They were not far off campus, in fact near the courtyard. The exit was well-hidden behind the 'immovable rockslide' they were forbidden to enter. Everybody dismounted and faced their unexpected savior-a large black dragon. Despite it being an experiment, the student underneath looked dignified in the guise of a dragon. The teens rushed to get their companion to the nurse. He turned fly back into the cavern when he met eyes with Yuki for the briefest moment.

His wings spread before he disappeared into the darkness. The yuki-onna put a hand over her heart and whispered, "Yoshiya-kun…"

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

_Kirei: Complete crap but I'm tired so I'm done! I. Am. DONE! *passes out*_

_Johan: Oh yeah, since Kirei's out, I'll have to do it for her. She was recently requested to make another 'Academia' series. She accepted doing a West Academia with O'Brien but she needs help with OC…again. Her only request is that there are no more twins. Somehow she ended up with two sets of twins…again. Weird coincidence right?_

_Jazzlyn: Or Hitsuzen._

_Name: _

_Ethnicity:_

_Age: _

_Deck:_

_Appearance:_

_Gender:_

_Personality:_

_Special Conditions (medical, mental, etc.):_

_Interests: _

_Dislikes:_

_Dorm (Osiris, Ra, Obelisk):_

_History:_


	19. Mission 16: Secrets Revealed

_Kirei: Yes, cranked out yet another chapter._

_Johan: Honestly, it's not hard when you've been planning it for MONTHS._

_Kirei: Nag, nag, nag, is that all you do?_

_Johan: I do not na-_

_Kirei: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh GX nor all the OC but plot? Yes, that is mine_

_**Reviewers Response:**_

_Chrisandersenyuki:__ We can only pray that they will be…and I feel that the dragon will be a fan favorite somewhere along the line._

_Oak-chan:__I wouldn't call it epic…but will Jazz be alright? Who knows?_

_Jazzlyn: You would, Kirei._

_Oh right~~_

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

None of the students had time for Q&A when they entered the school ground. After all they were supposed to be missing yet they returned on their own. Luckily it was nighttime and the only ones around were guards. One shined their flashlight at them, "Hey, what are you kids doing out here so late at night?"

"Ugh, we don't have time for this," Miku moaned. Lien said, "We fell during our field trip and need to get our friend to the nurse. NOW." the guard looked agitated from the snappiness he was receiving from a bunch of teenage brats. However, upon examining them closer he noticed they were a bloody mess. His eyes widened fear and disgust. Taking the walkie-talkie off his hip he spoke, "This Collins calling in. I have our missing students with me and have an emergency and need the nurse in the infirmary immediately."

"_Copy that, Collins."_

"C'mon this way," the guard escorted the worn kids in from the cold night. By the time they were in the main building, a few of their teachers were around in their pajamas and night wear, students were peeking from their dorm windows and hiding in the lobby, but most importantly Ms Stevenson was awaiting with two of the male teachers with a simple stretcher. Johan was put on it wand rushed away while the others were led down to the cafeteria.

The teachers were the ones they knew and were rushing about. Ms Capella went to help the nurse. Mr Nave, their match teacher, and Ms Ardel, their science teacher, washed and treated their wounds. Their duel strategy teacher, Mr Ambrose, went to find a change of clothes while his wife fetched blankets. Finally, the teenagers were given some food and hot chocolate by the last person they expected, "Hobbs?"

"How are you all doing?" he asked. The Obelisk students had nearly no qualms with him, but for nearly everyone else they longed believed their teacher planned for their deaths. However, at this moment he seemed…fatherly towards them, "No chills or anything?"

"We're fine, Mr. Hobbs…" Kayla quietly told him. "just a little shaken up."

Mr Nave queried, "We heard that some wild animals were on the trails and that the panic caused an avalanche. We were shocked to learn you kids got stuck in it. What happened to you all?" The most boisterous of their group prepared to pour his guts into the sob story when he was 'nudged' by Artemis. He told them, "Can we please have time to rest? I'd rather forget the terrible things that happened tonight…"

Nearly all the students gaped. The boy deserved an Academy Award (1). He spoke and acted like he was scarred for life by the events. Every one of the teachers respected their wishes and left extras for them and told the students to call if they needed anything. Once they were gone, Orion patted his brother on the back, "Now if only you could do that with written performances."

"Okay, I want answers," Kyoko admitted, looking at all her friends. "Starting with you Yuki. Just who-no, what-are you?"

She fiddled with her hair for the longest. Jazzlyn and Johan warned her to keep herself secret or else they couldn't help her investigate where her love disappeared. However, on this night she discovered his whereabouts so no longer needed to keep up her façade. The girl stood, "I am a yuki-onna."

"You're the one that tried to kill us on Snowfall Memorial," Leon remembered how she nearly got them were her icy breath. She flushed before she bowed deeply over and over, "Gomenasai! Honto ni gomenasai! I didn't mean to-well I did-but that was because I was really upset! Sorry! I was waiting for someone I knew…and now I have. I don't have to trouble you anymore."

"Whoa now, we never said you were trouble," her midnight blue-haired companion told her. "though why did you come to school afterwards. Scratch that, _how'd_ you get in afterwards?" Yuki answered cheerily, "Johan-san."

Sakura then asked, "And what about you two, Orion, Artemis? Are you with Jazz and Johan?"

"Pft," Orion scoffed. "Never. Those two are so strange, _we _look normal next to them." Then the green and blue eyes of the girl narrowed as she engaged in a mental battle with the 'stone' of the twins, "Really? Then why are always lying for them? Or trying to deny any accusations about them? Better yet, why not a better explanation for what you were doing in the caves? No amount of forest living or instinct can make you do that."

Clear Vice Dragon showed himself to his master. This shocked nearly all the students-almost making them fall, choke, or spit out their drink. It said, "I don't think you have much of a choice, Artemis, but I believe they are some people you can trust. They will not betray you." The assassin shut his eyes. There were only two things he trusted in his life: his brother and his deck. Orion seemed to leave the decision to him while his deck urged him to speak. Finally he sighed, "Alright, I'll tell you the truth in exchange for your silence."

"Deal."

Artemis leaned back and admitted, "We're assassins."

"Assassins? There's no way," Rory cried. "There's no way they'd admit a couple of dangerous, shady criminals into a school environment!"

"We never said we _told_ them we were a couple of dangerous, shady criminals now did we?" Orion flatly demanded. No one was certain that was a good or bad thing. Then, Miku wondered, "But, aren't you a little…I don't know…young?" Both shrugged. "Wait, but you said that you're not the same as Johan and Jazz, so what are they?"

A new voice answered, "I believe we can answer that."

They whipped around to see both Ms Capella and Ms Stevenson in the doorway. Both exhausted and weary. All the teens asked with anxiety, "How's he?"

"Andersen was beaten up pretty badly. Whatever stabbed him did a number on a lot of his tendons namely the deltoids and pectoralis minor in his left shoulder and the tabialis anterior muscle right calf," Both of the assassins internally cringed from their knowledge of anatomy. The nurse poured some hot chocolate for herself and her co-worker before joining the kids around the couches of the lobby, "And judging from the fact Andersen is injured along with the events of the day, I see you've seen some…troubling things. So you know our little secret."

Maybe they were still in shock that they nurse was talking about being the same as the Andersen twins-performing amazing feats without breaking a sweat-because they were silent for a moment or so when La'Rae said, "Not a lot but can't you tell Ms Stevenson? They're our friends…"

She seemed to debate for a moment before deciding, "It cannot be helped…Andersen, Victoria, and myself are apart of an organization that investigates the strange-the paranormal if you will."

Though they knew about what their comrades were, neither of the twins understood it completely so Orion asked, "So you're like ghostbusters?"

Ms Capella spoke, "Our fields of expertise are not limited to only the dead, but also things you believe are fictional such as…yetis or werewolves."

"Those are real?"

Laughter came from the two ladies, "Quite, though some do prefer to be left alone."

Kayla took off her glasses as she spread on the pallet on the carpeted floor, "How are in it? I mean, isn't that too dangerous a profession for someone only 15-years-old?"

"It is usually a family trade since normally friends aren't permitted to know about us," everyone was stiff for a moment. Had they gotten themselves into some kind of trouble, "However, we have made numerous exceptions o this rule. As for their ages…well, Johan and Jazzlyn have very high expectations to live up to. They are children to two of the greatest PAD, or paranormal anomaly detectives, of our generation. Though people-even the Andersens themselves-tend to forget that they are still kids. The youngest among our ranks."

"So basically, they're prodigies," a nod was the answer. Ms Stevenson crossed her legs, "Now. Since we have answered. We also would like to ask you about what happened. What you saw. What occurred. Any fine details you could recall."

Leon opted to respond, "I think it went similarly for most of us. After falling off the cliff side, we landed on a lower level only to be captured by these strange creatures"

Their art teacher questioned, "What was so strange about them?"

The brunette scratched his head, "Um…how should they say…? They looked sorta like mutant duel monster cards. They took us into this cave somewhere in this mountain where this guy used us as bait for Johan and Jazz. When they came, he left us to his guard dog which Undine took out before we went to help Jazz fend off a 'life energy sucking vacuum that doubles as a time bomb' while Johan dealt with the man that captured us. Eventually Johan passed out and Jazz asked for us to leave with him while she dealt with the person one-on-one. Then we were brought all the way up the mountain by a dragon and now we are here."

"I see…" the art teacher and nurse seemed unfazed by the entire explanation which, to most people, sounded insane. However they both appeared somewhat distressed and solemn. At last, the cinnamon-haired teacher mused, "It seems we have to make _that_ decision."

"Yes, but Andersen will not be pleased with it," her orange-haired co-worker responded. How they were speaking around a subject was unnerving. Artemis asked, "What decision?"

"We're going to have North Academia closed."

All the teenagers stood at the proclamation, "What?"

"How can you do that?"

"This is our home!"

"Where are supposed to go to school then?"

A hand was raised to quell the storm of questions brought to light, "This decision was made prior to your start here at North Academia. Before only adults were used to investigate this matter with none returning. However, this year, both Johan and Jazzlyn volunteered to undergo this assignment as they were younger and able to get further in this case. The deal was that if they failed, this school would be closed and we would have more drastic precautions taken."

"But they haven't failed!" Sakura slammed her hands on the table, "From how it sounds you had no clue what was going on at North. They said they knew what was going on and not only got the creatures to be seen, they also got into the lair of the guy behind this! They got further than any others right? Then that shouldn't count as failure!"

"Andersen may have reached a conclusion, but what good is it at this point?" Ms Stevenson demanded in a calm manner. "Johan is intensive care and might not be waking up for a while and Jazzlyn…well, where is she at this moment?"

Silence fell when Leon responded, "Can't you at least wait for Johan to wake up before you make your decision?" Neither adult could refute his reasonable request. With a long exhale, Ms Stevenson told the group, "Three weeks. You have three weeks for Johan to wake up. If he doesn't by then we will continue with this decision."

"Agreed," the Osiris responded before any of this friends could refuse. With that the subject was closed and the women bid the children good night before going off to bed. After they had departed, Leon was grabbed roughly and asked in a dangerous tone, "What the hell was that about?"

"As much as I would love to see Torrington get beat, I have to say he did right. He was being diplomatic about it," Orion told the girls. "Had you suggested that it shouldn't matter whether Johan was present, and that you could tell them about it, they'd contest that you're civilians and wouldn't have a grasp on what you saw. Or if you suggested that we go find Andersen, they would immediately reject the suggestion. After all, you'll just amateurs at fighting and even me and Arty have no idea what to do in this supernatural business. The best option at this point is to hope that Johan decides to wake up soon while we find out just a bit more about the two of them."

Miku decided to break the tension, "Oh my god, you actually sounded intelligent for once!"

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

**(Two Weeks Later)**

Johan still failed to wake up. It began to worry his friends as his wounds were healing fine, and their deadline was arriving soon as they walked to class. The school buzzed with gossip and rumors ever since the freshman camping trip. Many wondered what happened. Some reported seeing the creatures though all these were discredited with being 'scared half to death'. Upperclassmen and fellow classmen alike harped all the friends about the details of their fall and the conditions of the twins. Everyone knew Johan was in the infirmary while Jazzlyn was still unaccounted for. It began to be agitating to the point they refused to say anything on the matter.

"Mou~ I can't believe this," Kyoko told them as they walked down the hall towards the nurse's office. They were going to visit Johan as they usually did, "I know wounds take a while to heal but it shouldn't keep someone out for this long, right?"

"Even I have to admit its strange," Artemis reported. "The tendons are recuperating fine and I'm more than certain Johan didn't lose enough blood to have gone into severe hypovolemic shock-or a coma. Unless there's something we don't know about 'rebounds' then there is no excuse for him not to at least be awake."

Leon responded, "There isn't." For the past two weeks, the North students spent their time breaking into their friends' PAD files and studies. They even found the underground base beneath the school. All of them read a few files that they thought relevant. "I looked up on rebounds. I read that it usually is something like spasms or really annoying bruises inside you. In the case of severe overdrawing, it would deepen or open wounds already present for a day or two. A week at the most."

"I'm sensing some foul play here."

The teen opened the door to the office. Inside they could hear struggling even stuff being knocked over. Cautiously they entered. Further in the back the usual beeping of machines were heard, but they also heard the shuffling of blankets and screaming. Ms Stevenson was seen trying to calm her comatose patient. She managed to glance back, "Leon, Orion can you help me keep Johan down so he doesn't accidentally injury himself."

Both guys came over, holding down the blunette's arms. Lien and La'Rae held down his legs. The PAD kept screaming in his native tongue and thrashed about. His eyes weren't open and he probably wasn't even conscious. However, he put up a good fight against his friends. He nearly decked the older Undine sibling and knocked the tube connecting his mask to the ventilator. The assassin was moved out the way as he felt slight unsteadiness while Ms Stevenson rushed past and reconnected the stray tube.

This went for a few minutes more before the detective suddenly went limp. Panting hard with tears that threatened to fall from his eyes Johan softly called, "Jazz…"

With that he was silent once more. The nurse tried to fix herself up to look presentable, "Hello you all, you were visiting Johan again, right?"

"Uh, yeah, but that was enough for one day. I didn't think a guy like Johan hard that much strength," La'Rae nursed her arm, where she was kicked multiple times. She wasn't the only one and while Ms Stevenson offered to look at any bruises bound to form but they rejected, deciding it was best to leave their friend be for the day.

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

"That was weird," Sakura commented as they chilled in the student commons. They had snacks either bought from the school store or the vending machine. "What was all that about? I couldn't understand a thing Johan was saying."

"Probably because he was speaking the his primary language," Artemis boredly sipped his soda, "He was talking all in Norwegian. I figured out what he said but I don't understand it." everyone looked him expectantly. He cleared his throat and remembered the translation, "_Everything is hurting…I can't see anything…It hurts…My back burns…I'm sorry…Someone save me…anyone help me…_That was it. I don't understand how that all relates."

Nearly all the companions shrugged, "I don't either, maybe he was delirious?"

"I'm not sure about that," Leon voiced. Now eyes were on him, "Nothing seems to flow. They all sound like someone's thoughts, but they're not Johan's. I was thinking that maybe…maybe that dragon was right about why whoever-he-is has an interest in Jazz. Psychic ability. If anything he wants her power to get stronger right?"

"You're speaking gibberish, Leo," Kyoko pointed out. He simplified, "I think Jazz is psychic and somehow linked her thoughts to Johan's."

"Oh that's just great. Twin telepathy on crack," the older assassin quipped. "that's great for them. We have some other problems. I found out while we were in there, Ms Stevenson definitely pulled some foul play. When Johan knocked the tubing out, I felt really light-headed for a moment. It was sedative. Johan's not comatose, he's on so much tranquilizer he's out of it."

Miku crossed her arms, "And they say that adults are trustworthy. What are we gonna do about it?"

"Easy," Orion breezily spoke, "We're gonna go in after hours and take him off it."

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

**(Nurse's Office)**

The teens waited until the orange-haired nurse to leave the office and until her heels couldn't be heard anymore. They checked the door, "Damn, it's locked." Miku shoved her friends out the way. She pulled two bobby pins from her hair. Rory cried, "Oh c'mon first the laws of physics, then the law, what next? Movie trick are real too?"

Ignoring the complaint, Miku bent one of them into an L-shape then stretched the other into a V-shape and curled one end slightly. She put the L bobby pin into the deadbolt before using the other to brush against the pins in the lock. The Osiris turned the L-shaped pin around and the lock could be heard sliding in. The blond gaped, "I tried to give you Osiris the benefit of the doubt but now I really believe you're future hoodlums."

"Don't mad because we have life skills," Leon deadpanned. "though next time, Miku, maybe you could let me use the keys?" she scratched her head and laughed as she opened the door. Inside the lights were off with only the constant beep of the PAD's heartbeat. They went and unplugged the machine so the flatline didn't wake anyone. Then they flipped off the ventilator off and removed the mask. Lien then wondered, "Okay so how are we gonna wake him up."

Walking over with a cup of water and ice, Orion wicked smiled, "That's the easy part."

He splashed it over Johan's face. The guy awoke with a start nearly choking on the water that managed to get in his nose and down his throat, "Hva faen! Hva i helvete var det? _(Norwegian: What the fuck! What the hell was that?)_"

"Good to see you back from the dead, Johan," his yellow-eyed Ra friend congratulated. He scrutinized his surroundings, "This is…the nurse's office? We're back at the school?"

"Yep."

The teenager was still woozy but in a serious tone wondered, "Where's Jazz?"

None of the teenagers said anything. Johan, despite his sudden wake call and the sedative still in his system, understood what occurred, "I have to go back." The girls patiently made him stay down. "Whoa there, you may be up but you're still hurt. We'll have to go back after you've healed more."

"Is the moon out?" Johan asked. The curtains were pulled back to reveal the moon in the sky. Johan soake din the moonlight before reciting, "Great Eir, permit this wounded warrior to battle once more. Delay the signs of mortality and deny Hel's hand on this soldier. With time as the price, I beg this deed."

The teenager remained still for a minute before he-literally-jumped out the bed, "Johan! You're still injured!" The bluenette appeared annoyed. He was fine and to prove his point, the marksman walked on his hands, "If I were injured, I couldn't do that. I'm fine. Probably will be hurting again in a few days but I'm fine otherwise. Now can I go back?"

"Not without us."

"I can't do that," Johan responded. "Especially since you're…um…"

His roommate suggested, "Untrained?"

"Yes, untrained. That'd be more of a hindrance than help," Johan responded. Unfortunately, everyone planned on his refusal. "Fine then Johan, good luck trying to find _how_ to get back into the cave." The boy face palmed. He cursed in his head multiple times before he finally composed himself and said, "You win, you can come but only when _I _believe you can."

The group pondered then retorted, "Deal."

So begins a crash course in PAD studies…

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

_Kirei: Done! Done with this chapter!_

_Johan: You have no idea how excited Kirei is to write the next chapter she's so excited she stayed up till 2 in the morning to finish this one._

_Kirei: Shaddup!_

_**Authoress' Note:**_

_**1) Academy Award: I don't know if this is in every country but this is basically the biggest award show for actors. Actors or actresses that win an Academy Award have a human statuette that is nicknamed an 'Oscar'. Why? I have no clue.**_


	20. Authoress' Note: Sorry I Had to Do It

Ugh~ I can't believe I'm actually writing one of these! I've been good about not doing it for a while but it just agitates me that I need to write an authoress' note! I know how it feels to be that reader waiting forever for someone to update and instead I get an author's note about an even longer hiatus or discontinuation. I've been heartbroken too many times…

However! That is not what this authoress' note is for! In fact it is for the upcoming chapters! I shall try to spoil as little as I can but I need your help for understanding. Everyone has a talent as a fighter with some notable exceptions, but I have no idea what your characters might be good at using or what fighting style they use. So if you could tell me, that'd be very helpful when I'm writing. Oh, and I'm warning now, you do not want to choose guns as Johan and the Lunar Death Twins already use that and you do not want to use swords as both Jazzlyn and Leon use that.

Futhermore, damn it I gotta give at least one spoiler, the NA gang will have a personal or tag team sort of match while they're in the lair so tell me whether you want this to be a fight or a duel. The upside is that I refuse to write unless I've seen some kind of fight with the involved weapons or fight styles or I will write an entire duel. Yet the downside is that if I have a lot of fights/duels, I'll take longer writing them as they require a lot of research, calculation, and a hella a lot of my brainpower so yeah~ The only OC that isn't mine that has already had their match decided for them is La'Rae, everyone else is up in the air.

You can give me suggestions on who or what you want your character to fight against and who (if you want) your character to fight with. Remember, you're basically in a cave full of duel monsters, this should inspire something. I'm not so proud to admit if I get no suggestions, I'm turning to fight manga I've read like Buso Renkin or Flame of Recca and fight amvs for who your opponents are.

Lastly~, there's the issue about openings and endings. I only make the new themes when the arc shifts (like any other anime does) and the time has come again. The 'Daily Life Arc' is coming to a close and opening the door for the next arc, 'Stigma of Darkness'

For this I'm pretty set about what I'll do for the ending but I'm stuck on what to do for the opening. I'm stuck between two songs:

Arrival of Tears by Ayane (11eyes opening): http:/youtu(dot)be/uhLVaVRzqkM

Baptize by Yousei Teikoku (Seikon no Qwaser opening): http:/youtu(dot)be/4DAKQrmZ82Q

Or you could say you don't really want the opening/ending bit and you won't have to worry about either!

Is that it? I think it is…sorry I'm asking so much but I have too much in my head and I need help to make the decisions I'm stuck on. Until the next update, ja ne!


	21. Mission 17: Learning the Ropes

_Kirei: Okay this is just gonna be a quickie._

_Johan: She's gotta do something to make up for the Authoress Note she made._

_Kirei: Quiet you! Anyway, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh GX nor all the OC but I do own the plot. _

_**Reviewers Response:**_

_Oak-chan:__ Well if you think its epic then was epic. And it seems like everyone's got it out for you, Oreo._

Orion:_ That's because they happened to catch me when I broke character_

_Yeah…that's so the case._

_Chrisandersenyuki:__ Would go berserk? He's getting there…_

_ArrowTLC7:_Orion:_ What the hell is up you people underestimating my intelligence? I'm smart ya know!_

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

"Mou~ I wouldn't have agreed to this if I knew you were a slave driver, Johan!" Kyoko complained as she along with nearly all the others were sprawled on the ground. Bruises and scratches were abundant and standing over them was their temporary instructor and 'slave driver', "That was going easy. It's not that bad though you could just always just let me get Jazz on my own and we would not be in this situation."

Johan could not convince any of his friends to disclose the entrance of the lair and he couldn't use his WATCH since there was some kind of jammer over the place. With an annoying persistence, the companions undertook cram PAD studies. They didn't cover the paranormal creature and abilities stuff but rather the combative side of conjuring shields, healing, utilizing elements, enhance weapons/natural ability, and simultaneously cast and fight. And Johan- being the most experienced -had trained them after classes and kicked their asses for hours on end.

Lien argued, "There's no way you could take on all those things-"

"-Students-" the marksman interjected.

"whatever! There has to be hundreds in there and now way could you take them all even if you wanted to. Be grateful!"

"Yes, be grateful to people keeping me from finding my little sister that is hanging mortal peril with each passing second," Johan replied in an uncharacteristically satirical tone. He had been extremely irritable after his awakening and half-consciously has taken it out on his friends. The Obelisk knew they were only hoping for the best, but his anxiety and the disturbing things he had seen in his 'dreams' made him want to save Jazzlyn as quickly as possible.

"None of us are liking the circumstances either, Johan," Leon reminded him, getting back onto his feet. He picked up the scabbard to the sword that he borrowed from the Andersen twins' immense inventory. He held it out to the bluenette, "so how about we make a bet?"

"A bet?" was echoed by nearly all the students.

"Yes, a bet," the brunette told them, "Let's have a spar where we have to keep our weapon. If I win, you finish our lessons and allow us to go after Jazz immediately. And if you win…I will tell you the hidden location so you can pursue Jazz as soon as possible. Either way, we're making progress."

Before anyone could dispute, Johan took up a rapier, "Fine with me. Ready?"

"Let's go before I get jumped. Brimstones' essence reduce all from earth to ashes," The blade glowed as he went for an downward swing, which was blocked by Johan's blade. Metal scraped against each other before Leon reversed into an upward swing that was also met with the rapier. Both fighters backed off, "Ya know, Leo, I noticed that you're scary good with a sword."

Johan went on the offensive and assaulted with various thrusts and strikes. All of them were guarded against a black katana. Their blades met once more as the PAD noticed, "It's kendo, isn't it?"

Their swords parted yet again and they were both back into a stance. Johan held the rapier with only one hand while his companion used both for the katana, "If it weren't for the damn age requirements, I would be a 4-dan (1)."

The gunman whistled, "That's talent." He stepped back when he heard, "Rise from the underground, terra cudis." Johan jumped to miss the jutting pieces of earth that appeared out of the ground. He managed to land on the unaffected ground only to rush to block his attacker from behind, "Though I thought practitioners in Japanese martial arts fight fair."

"There is no such thing as 'fighting fair' in a fight," Leon said as he thrust near his opponent's face. Johan sidestepped twice before ducking and using the blunt end of his blade to hit the Osiris against the wall, "Well, let's step it up then."

_He was going easy?_ everyone thought in their heads. The duelist groaned at the force of the slam, nearly losing his grip as Johan came quick with the rapier. The exchanges became flashes of light and the chink of blades. Everyone kept an eye on the time. 3 minutes had passed.

Johan quickly found nearly all his friends had talent in fighting. Leon was actually really good at using a sword and would probably be lethal in fighting if he learned. His speed made him hard to catch but he lacked in magic ability. However, the PAD couldn't understand how it was so usually low it was like…it was being repressed. Either way, Johan had to kick it up into high gear so he could win the location without endangering his friends again. He cast, "Disappear into darkness, luminescence vanishment."

Lights in the training room had gone off. Cries of surprise and struggles to find a source of light heard. No one could see. No one except Johan and maybe Sakura. Pressing his advantage, Johan struck with ferocity that kept the brunette on his toes. Leon was being pressed back when the silver-colored rapier nearly thrust at his abdomen. He ducked onto his back, and a clatter was heard. It wasn't heavy enough to be a sword but something definitely fell. The PAD didn't have time to ponder as he was startled by a pair of gold reptilian spheres, "Elements of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen combust and ignite!"

A flame was shot from his hand towards the orbs. A shift, like a dive or stumbling, was heard, "Damn it Johan, I know we said no fair fighting but you don't have to incinerate me!"

"Leo, that was you?"

"Who else is fighting you, bloody div?" was heard in the darkness. Green eyes turned to find the cerulean eyes of his opponent close to the ground. Johan assumed he nearly blasted the guy. The five minutes were nearly out and desperate to win the bet, Johan tried to make Leon drop his sword while still covered in the darkness. Yet, his desperation must've been guessed as his assailant held his sword at ready. They lunged forward when the PAD tripped over something on the ground. The bluenette landed ungracefully with a hard hit against the back of his palm forcing him to drop the weapon he held.

He lost.

The lights returned to the room. They couldn't see most of the fight but could definitely see the end result. Leon was on his feet with the katana on the side while Johan was flat on his back with his rapier abandoned next to him. The Osiris extended his hand to his fallen friend to his feet, "Yeah! The student become the master! "

"Actually," Leon scratched his head before squatting near where Johan had fallen. He grasped something in his hand and held it up. It was chains with thin crystal beads and at the end was a cross that was comprised of the same material as the beads (2), "that was dumb luck."

"Is that a rosario?" Johan examined the cause of his defeat. He ran his fingers across it. The PAD could feel within the item was magic. Not any simple one. It was complex and advanced to last for years. Was this the reason his friend's conjuring was so weak? Said guy put the Rosario back on his neck and tucked it back under his shirt and before Johan could ask about it, a phone rang.

La'Rae gave an exasperated sigh as she went rummaging through her stuff to pull out her cell phone, "Guten tag? Papa, ich wünsche Ihnen würde aufhören, mich jeden Tag…_(German: Hello? Daddy, I wish you would stop calling me everyday…)_"

The conversation continued for another few minutes. From what Johan heard, on the other line was La'Rae's father. He was trying convince her to reconsider going to North Academia and come back home. However, La'Rae refused, telling him not to worry about her so much and that promises she will not end up like her mother. After that she is exchanging a few consoling gestures before telling him good bye and to call once a week rather than everyday.

Some of the students understood the conversation but pretended they didn't. Johan was apart of that group. He always felt but never voiced that he thought his friends had some problem in their lives. They talked more openly after finding out the PAD's secrets. All of them had either one or neither of their parents. Everyone except Kayla, Rory, and Orion could see duel monster spirits and treated their cards like their family. They also felt that way about their friends, thus their insistence on helping to rescue Jazzlyn.

"So~ Since Leo won, our lessons are over! When can we go save Jazz?" Lien asked. Johan replied, "Tomorrow night. Midnight sharp. Anyone not there at that time will not come. Understood?"

Various retorts of agreement were his response.

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

Only a few hours before the return to that hell hole, Johan decided to get some sleep in preparation for his long night to come. In his PAD outfit (3), a simple gray shirt with black pants and long-tailed jacket, the teenager collapsed onto his bed and set an alarm for 10 prior to their meeting time. With that he shut his eyes.

The teen half-hoped he would have a normal night's sleep. He also half-hoped he would be reliving the horrid memories in Jazzlyn's mind. By now he could only see what occurred in. However, engraved in his mind was the first time their minds linked. His thoughts and her were merged and he saw everything through her eyes. He felt all the torture to his twin's body

_Johan_ had shivered at the thought even if he didn't experience it firsthand. Of something dragging her battered seal covered body onto a spell circle from the blood other students killed before he. They both felt blood slither on bare skin with hard stone underneath as Jazz's body was trapped in a paralysis. Temporary warmth from pulsating magic before it became agony. Like invisible knives slashed into their skin before stabbing through flesh and muscle and digging through the innards on purpose. It felt as if the soul and spirit-one's very essence-was torn from the body and shredded to bits before it was reassembled. Sewn back together by an amateur, uniting the essence with a monster.

The nightmare was his drive for rushing to find his sister. Jazzlyn was her twin, that was an undeniable fact. Yet, though it's only by three minutes, he was the older sibling and he felt overprotective about his sister. He hated to see much less know the pain Jazzlyn endured and it boiled his blood know that there was sick sonovabitch that was behind it.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Johan groaned as he sat up. It looks like he would be getting sleep tonight. It didn't matter. He was high on adrenaline and excited to put a bullet through a certain man's head. No one harmed Johan Andersen's family unless they had a death wish.

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

_Kirei: Tired… so freakin' tired._

_Johan: Well you're done now._

_Kirei: Yeah~ Now…*collapses and is sound asleep* _

_Jazzlyn: Damn that was fast. _

_**Authoress Notes:**_

1) **4-dan: **This is apart of the ranking system of kendo pronounced '4th dan'. You start off as a 6-kyu and work up to a 1-kyu. Afterwards you would be trying for a 1-dan. However, to be a 1-dan you must be at least 14-years-old. The promotion then works by adding another year of training to the ones you already have (ex: 1-dan train for 1 year to become a 2-dan, then a 2-dan must train 2 years to be a 3-dan).

**Bottom Line: Leon is only 15, meaning he's only a 2-dan but he has the experience of a 4-dan**

**2) In the picture of Cain, the necklace he is wearing is what I (poorly) attempted to describe: http:/www(dot)mangareader(dot)net/1573-48802-1/count-cain-godchild/chapter-10(dot)html**

**3) Check out my profile for what it looks like. Oh and any Black Cat fans? If so, Train is so f-ing hot!**


	22. Mission 18: EPP? An Assassin's Game!

Kirei: Readers of my other stories are so gonna hate me~

Johan: Probably but who cares? Get on with the story already!

Kirei: Aren't we a little anxious to be the prince in this-*holds head* Oh snap that just gave me images that shouldn't be. That's a twincest I never want to explore.

Johan: Twinces-Oh gross! Me and Jazz? That's just…wrong.

Kirei: So is the Undine brothers being together but do you see me shunning it?

Johan: O.o….I'm going to pretend I did not hear that. Anyway, Kirei does not own Yu-Gi-Oh GX nor all OC but the plot is hers.

**Reviewers Response:**

Oak-chan: _Orion: I give up trying to on good terms with you. _

Kirei:_ She's just showing you some hard love…I think. As for the rosario…maybe he's pious?_

Orion: …_*bursts out laughing* Torrington? Pious? Maybe to the devil!_

Kirei: _I'm surprised you know what the word 'pious' means *dodges bullet*_

_Chrisandersenyuki:_Kirei: _She lives to be an adult, isn't that enough?_

Johan: _No._

Kirei:_ But why not~~?_

Johan: _Just because you live to be an adult does not mean you'll ever be right in the head._

_Luving Randomness:__ That works and you can redo the profile for Soo Yun if you want._

Johan: _Hey! My luck's not that bad!_

Kirei: _Johan, 22 chapters in and you cross dressed, almost died from a fever, had part of your soul stolen, nearly got a bullet in your head by your roommate and his brother, almost were skewered by Yuki, got turned into a girl, fell off the side of a __mountain__, and almost died from blood loss._

Johan: _And who's fault is that?_

Kirei: _Yours_

_Wah this opening will be harder to explain but I'll give my best! Alright minna!_

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

**Opening 2: Point of No Return (goes with the TV Size of Baptize by Yousei Teikoku (2nd**** Opening of Seikon no Qwaser)**

Screen starts out black

_*foreign opera singing (Yeah I have no idea what else to call it)*_

Screen goes to Miku and Kayla in a green light. The lights change to a yellowish-gold color to illuminate Leon and Yuki but it shows the Undine twins cast in red. Next it's La'Rae and Lien highlighted in purple. Kyoko and Kayla are shown in orange before finally there's Sakura and a girl their age with black hair and purple eyes (a new character!) in blue.

The scene changes to North at night (Fade in of Title Credit: North Academia: Stigma of Darkness)

"_Scattered, broken among unkind winds," _

Johan reaches out to his sibling with her reaching back

"_My voice cannot reach out to you. Stop, I continue to beg"_

Camera does close up of their hands nearly touching but missing

"_Without a sound I scream"_

Jazzlyn falls back into the black, her hair falling out of its ponytail and she syncs in time to the words, "_'Do not come'!"_

_*opera interlude*_

A boy with his tongue stuck out with wolverine claws extended is shown in green. It shifts to a guy with a dragon wrapped around him in the golden light that switches to someone in a gas mask in red. The lighting becomes purple on a female and a male both wearing grotesque mask slowly taking them off. Last it is a dragon with icy blue eyes and person holding a gun with a hat tipped over their face.

The scene changes to inside the cavern

"_It's so cold, I feel so numb_

_Darkness' reign constricting and confining"_

The lighting is eerie as it shows the shadowy figure of the lair as he view projections of the fights within his domain.

"_Rivers of blood, paths of corpses,_

_Is this the gateway to hell?"_

He draws back his hood to show his face with green eyes. The man spreads out his arms with his cloak flapping wildly in the air. Chains shoot out from around him.

"_Is there is any way to return from this place?"_

The person in the mask holds out his arms. A strange colored mist emits from his sleeves. From the mist emerged Orion dual wielding and aimed at the man while Artemis fires into the mist, causing an explosion.

"_Or have I reach the point of no return and damned forever?"_

The fire from the explosion become the fire from a black and blue dragon. A transparent golden dragon rushes through the attack. It fades to show Sakura with a spear charging at the dragon.

"_Faith and hope feels so dim, please help me,"_

Miku and Kayla stood back to back. The Osiris throws up multiple small rings into the air. It becomes electrified with energy and Kayla is launched at the boy with claws, and they meet with his talons and her neko-te.

"_Where is the end to all this insanity?"_

Lien draws a seal in the air and summons a whip. She holds it behind her head before lashing it, causing rocks to be uprooted towards her masked opponent who seemingly blurred out of sight.

"_It's becoming the same, the lines slowly blurring"_

La'Rae is looking into a reflection of herself in the water. The reflection reaches out, grabbing her and pulling her underneath the surface.

"_What is light and what is darkness?"_

The new character's eyes turn into an icy blue hue ducking and weaving from beams of light shot by person with a suit on with hat obscuring his face.

"_Someone save me, I cannot endure this any longer"_

Leon strikes with a sword but is thrown back by his attacker. They face each other when their eyes change color and they summon dragons that clash. The impact makes an eruption of light.

_*last note is held while the opera music is heard*_

Johan slips a handgun from its holster and tosses it in the air. Electricity looking energy surrounds the gun while his hands have magic circles in front of him. His hands glow while the mastermind summons his scythe. Johan backs away as he reaches up for his descending sword.

_*epic opera music for the last time*_

Shows the hooded man surrounded by black. Then it shows the group of minions under him (everyone's future opponents) before going to NA gang. The scene switches to display Johan's firearm except more shot-gun like with mystical attachments and manages to fire it at the screen. It goes white.

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

**(NA Courtyard. Midnight)**

Johan arrived around the same time as everyone else. They all had weapons borrowed from their (more accurately: Jazzlyn's) collection of weapons. They also had a few other items that would come in handy hidden either in packs or in their clothes. It was amazing how they could actually sneak out after curfew. Security can't do everything but can't they at least bust one or two students? The teen shook the thought out his head, "Are all of us here?"

"Not yet," a shadow said. The PAD huffed in slight annoyance, "You've already tried once, Ms Capella, if you're going to stop-"

Victoria Capella stepped out and smirked, "That was Natalie, not me. I've long since learned my lesson of dealing with the foolhardiness trait that appears to run in your genes, Andersen. I don't wanna leave this place up to the hands of the higher ups' personnel so I'll leave the rest to you. I was just leading an extra addition to your little rescue mission."

He repeated, "Extra addition?" Green eyes noticed the other figure in the darkness before he called out, "Cynthia."

"Good to see you too, Johan," Cynthia emerged into front of the students. She was pale with black hair pulled into a ponytail with violet eyes that reflected no emotion in particular. The others were confused by this girl. It was obvious she was in the same profession as Johan but they couldn't quite connect the dots on how she knew him. Their thoughts went to being his girlfriend. Cynthia spoke aloud, "That's not the kind relationship we have. If anything, I'm his older sister and we're both hoping to get back the baby of the family."

Johan flushed slightly, "Cyn, you don't have to explain it like that. Anyway, everyone this is Cynthia my life-long friend. Cynthia this is Line, Sakura Artemis, Orion, Kayla, Leon, Rory, La'Rae, and Yuki. Now that intros are done, let's go."

"Come back alive," their art teacher chided, waving the students off. Now off to the next challenge for the teacher: keeping her comrade from reaching the higher ups until the group returned. They made it to where a rockslide site was located. It, surprisingly, was actually hollow and successfully hid a hole descending into darkness. Into that monster-infested lair.

Kayla crouched by the opening, "Um…is the distance too far for us drop?"

"Let's test that," Artemis dropped a rock down the chasm. It was silent for about 6 seconds before a SPLISH was heard, "Well no problem. There's water at the bottom. You just have to jump in."

The glasses wearing girl stuttered, "I-Isn't that dangerous?"

The assassin merely shrugged before diving into the hole with his sibling following after. One by one the teenagers dove in once they heard a splash. Johan and Cynthia went last to ensure everyone went down. He had the time to ask, "Not that I'm not grateful, Cyn, but why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be at West?"

"I couldn't just standby knowing my imouto _(Japanese: little sister)_ is in the hands of psycho and that my otouto _(Japanese: little brother)_ is rushing back into the danger. Vicki's right, you and your parents are a reckless bunch," the girl spoke as if she were much older than she was. Johan knew she was but didn't treat her like an adult. He waved it off and told her before diving in, "The apple never falls too far from the tree."

Cynthia quipped, "Honestly, sticking with this family will have me only live as long as them."

SPLASH!

Everyone resurfaced shortly after breaking through the water's surface. Unlike the outside, inside of cave was extremely warm. The students came out the water to wring water from their hair and clothes. Their path, unlike before wasn't one but three different routes. Johan said, "Damn, which way to take? Cyn, can't you….I don't know, follow her scent of something?"

"No offense Johan, but I am a vampire not a bloodhound," she replied. The statement should've unnerved most people but at this point, everyone had heard and seen the most ludicrous things it didn't faze them. They were about to devise a plan to split when that familiar and irritating voice of the cave's host, "Come back to offer yourself to my studies?"

Kyoko replied, "In your dreams."

The man processed this, "I assumed this would be the result but that is fine. I could be amused by you until your last breaths. Corpses work just as well."

"Gonna tell which way or intend for me to deal with all your flunkies before I kick your ass?" the marksman curtly asked. Cackling could be her, "And I believe that the girl was the only one with temper issues. I see it's both of you."

BLAM!

Shattering and hissing could be heard as smoke rose from the bluenette's gun, "slutte å snakke du er irriterende _(Norwegian: Stop talking, you're annoying)_. Looks like he won't be useful."

"Andersen duck!" he was ordered. Complying, Johan hit the deck in time to miss a bullet to his back. Artemis fired his Colt in the direction from where the bullet was fired. It pierced something that sounded like metal colliding with metal. Whatever it was, rolled onto the ground. Scrutinizing the item he recognized, "A filtering canister?"

"I always wondered what kind of pair the Lunar Death Twins would be," both stiffened at their title as a blade scraped against rocks. It halted again as the male voice responded, "imagine my surprise that such a notorious duo are only grade-schoolers." Orion 'tch'ed, "and I didn't think the infamous 'Gas Chamber' would be unable to distinguish ages. We're in high school not grade school, idiot. Dar ... asta este rau, Artemis _(Romanian: But…this is bad, Artemis)_."

The PAD replied, "Gas Chamber? Don't tell me you mean the well-known assassin, that person?"

"Da," the twins confirmed. Johan expected to have some duel monsters or magic booby traps but did not expect the guy to hire an assassin to kill them. From the shadows so dark that not even he could see through, the man cackled, "Looks like I get to weed out some competition before it begins. I haven't done an EPP in a while."

Kyoko asked, "What is he talking about?"

The younger of the twins explained, "He means the process known as "Extermination of Potential Potency". There's an unofficial but highly upheld ranking of assassins and they change according to amount of kills, style of kills, and the like. He's talking about getting rid of us before we become a threat to his position."

Sakura wondered, "And what rank are you?"

"Twelve and that guy is ranked eighth from his methods of killing like his name," Orion finished explaining then directed his voice towards the opposing assassin, "but your deal is with us not those guys cause trust me they're not much of a challenge. So how about this? Let them go down the path to your boss and we have fight to the death like the murderers we are. What happens after? Well, that depends on who's alive afterwards."

"Conceited brat, aren't you?"

"Wouldn't have gotten far in the underworld if I weren't," he spoke with an eerie calm and confidence, "So what do you say? I hear you have fetish for victims' screams and love children and girls the best. I'm a descent guy that'll accept his losses so if we lose, I'll be sure to scream really good for you before you can hunt after those broads."

Wild and crazed laughter could be heard, "I like your style, kid. A warm up before a hunt. I like it. I accept your terms. Alright, my future prey, head to the right and I'll be there to kill you in no time."

Everyone thought Orion had gonna nuts. He was provoking a killer- a killer apparently better than him -to come after him then them if he and his twin died. Insane was most people's thought when his sibling told Johan, "Hurry up and go. You're only in the way if you loiter any longer."

"mulţumesc. Nu pierde_ (Romanian: Thank you. Don't lose)_," the PAD agreed as he and their friends headed down their directed path. As soon as they were left, Gas Chamber commented, "Let's see what made you so talented, Lunar Death Twins."

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

**Ending 2: Twilight's Gift (goes with TV size of From Dusk till Dawn by Abingdon Boys School (Darker than Black: Ryuusei no Gemini Ending)**

_*guitar intro*_

The scene shows a far view of the school as the sunsets over the mountains. Nighttime descends with the stars shining.

"_The sun becomes veiled behind a curtain of stars"_

Rory yawns as he in his velvet red robe sits on a his silken bed, staring out ahead of him. It switches to Lien is putting her deck into their holder on her desk before turning the lamp off, leaving the area illuminated by the moonlight.

"_Diane's beacon illuminates my path at the same time shadowing it."_

Sakura sat on the couch with the TV, watching with passing interest. The scene fades out to Leon lies on the roof of his dorm before suddenly sitting.

"_While this world is immersed in slumber, the people drifting to dreams"_

La'Rae rubs her eyes, coming into the living room, wondering why the lights are still on. She seems surprise when she finds Kayla asleep while studying. She gently shakes her roommate so she can get into bed.

"_I awaken with the rising moon!"_

In the Osiris girls dorm Kyoko is reading a book while Miku is lying on her side not yet sleep.

"_Unafraid of the darkness, I walk beside it,"_

Orion is lounging on the steps with his baretta disassembled so he can clean the parts.

"_I don't understand why there's fear of it…"_

Yuki sits on the cliff side with the wind blowing as she pulls her knees under her chin.

"_Though sometimes the night feels deceiving"_

Artemis practices his shot with a sniper in a short distance from his dorm.

"_All I need to down look up, everything becomes clear."_

Jazzlyn is lying on a field in her night clothes.

"_A sky filled with stars_

_Million of fireflies,_

_From them I see hope,_

_My mentor and friend,_

_Giving me guidance…_

_The gift of twilight…"_

Johan is adjusting a telescope before looking at the stars. He turns away and calls to his sister, who was lying next to him. Jazzlyn gets up, offering her drink while she looks into the stars. They look up together to see a shooting star

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

_Oh god, so begins the fights of the villain's lair. Anyone guess who the villain is yet? They had been seen in the North Academia already~ Oh and Cynthia is the newest addition to both the North and West Academia series._

_The longest thing for me were the openings and endings. I finished the chapter early it just took hours to get those parts right._


	23. Mission 19: Doesn't He Know He's Toxic!

_Kirei: Wah, what a response! It seems I have excited some people for this arc!_

_Johan: I don't get why, it's not like anything significant happened._

_Kirei: Johan, is your protagonist complex coming up again? Seriously, if I didn't know better, I'd say you were jealous that Oreo and Arty got their fight first._

_Johan: Pft! Yeah right!_

_Kirei: You're jealous~~ And I'd only ruin your mood by putting up a favorite chara poll. You might have some stiff competition. Anyway, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh GX nor all OC but the plot is mine!_

_**Reviewers Response:**_

_Chrisandersenyuki:__ Thank you, that was the biggest piece of work in the chapter._

Orion: _It's alright it's not like we're at a disadvantage._

Artemis: _Statistically, we are._

Orion: _Like I said, it's not like we're at a disadvantage._

Artemis:_ God, you're an idiot._

_Oak-chan:_Artemis: _You are actually a fan of twincest? Me and my brother doing twincest? Please excuse me._

Orion: _I'm with Arty, that's just…sick. And if this is love, I sure as hell don't want it._

Kirei:_ Don't worry, I wanna type this chapter. It's just the research making it slower…_

_Luving Randomness:_Johan: _*sniff* but I'm not that unlucky._

Kirei: _Yet! And everyone is interested in the fight, even me ohohohoho! But yes, the villain was actually mentioned in North Academia. If gave anymore hints I'd be too easy._

_Glacial Pieces:__ You're welcome!_

_ArrowTLC7:_Johan: _God! I'm going, I'm going!_

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

**(Cavern)**

"Johan are you sure it's okay to leave them alone with that guy?" Sakura asked, concerned. The PAD continued trekking but answered, "Probably not. I've seen the handiwork of Gas Chamber a couple times and every time, I nearly puked. He's an expert with poison and usually infects his victims so that it looks like they were put in a gas chamber. Furthermore he gets a kick out of it. Like Orion says, he truly does adore hearing the screaming of dying people. All in all, he's a complete lunatic."

Everyone cringed. Johan just described this guy as a real life Joker with a creepy calm and seriousness. They thought he was either crazy or so blinded with his drive that he was ignoring the fact he let two of his friends stay behind. But, his next words cleared up their question of the marksman's sanity, "However, you shouldn't underestimate those two," he said in his normal happy-go-lucky tone, "that list they were referring to is quite fickle as it changes nearly every minute."

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

**(Lakeside Cave)**

The maniac saw his 'future prey' leave then turned. His expressions could be seen in his get up. He appeared to be in a cross between a hazmat suit and a straitjacket. A gas mask disguised his face while his sleeves fell over his hands, "Well now that they're outta the way, let's begin!"

He clicked a button and darts were launched from the darkness. The twins split up to avoid the barrage. They ducked behind different rocks. Orion gestured by nudging his head upward. Wordlessly his sibling nodded before weaving into the shadows. The other teenager shot from behind the rock at the dart to make what darts he could be redirected back towards its owner. The assassin had to jump to avoid the unexpected rebound Gas Chamber stepped toward where he was. When he reached behind the boulder, there was only empty space. He caught a glint from the moonlight of above. He managed to put his hand up before wire constricted his neck, "Heh, nice trick but not good enough."

He didn't receive a response, only the _fwish _of a lighter. The wires ignited, singing the man as he cut through the line. As soon as he was free, bullets were nearing his exposed backside. He lashed out his sleeve and a liquid arc raced to meet the projectiles. Hissing came when they made contact. Bullets melted from the liquid. The teenager mentally cursed as he moved back to avoid acid that was directed towards him.

Orion closed on eye to get his target straight. This time his bullet hit. It was directed at the container of acid in Gas Chamber's sleeve. It ate through the man's sleeve and he had to rush to get the acid off him before it burned his skin, "Rise from the underground and tremble."

The ground shook and jagged fragments of earth rose to hold the assassin in his place with his legs trapped and two intersecting rocks holding his head in place. The 8th ranked assassin in world had his head down wit his head down. Cautious, Orion came closer (hopefully) to finish this guy off. However he halted when Gas Chamber suddenly snapped up his masked face, "Interesting! I really am liking this! I actually have to get serious with you, kid!"

From his sleeve he produced as can. To be more specific, a smoke grenade. He was shot to try and make him drop it. Either resistant to the pain or truly psychotic, Gas Chamber refused to drop it until the smoke was about to come out. Then he threw it. It landed right by the boy's feet and covered the area in mist, "Futu-i _(Romanian: Fuck!)_!"

The teen stopped trying to breath in the mist but he was certain he'd already inhaled some of the fumes. He felt his senses starting to lose their edge and his brain was registering happiness and pleasure despite the deadly situation. He had to get out before the full effect of whatever poison entered his system kicked in. Exiting the haze, Orion breathed in the safer air and muttered under his breath, "În orice moment acum, Artemis _(Romanian: Any time now, Artemis)_…"

Sensing his opponent escaped, the older of the Undine twins dodge rolled to miss a blade that would've gone through his lung but was stung by a dart of only god knew what. The sword seemed to follow as it attempted to slice him while he was down. It was blocked by the boy's gun and he got four shots to the man's gas mask, which only cracked slightly. With it up close Orion could see the sword was laced with poison. It became a contest of strength between the two weapons' deadlock. Unfortunately, both younger and infected, Orion lost the contest was pushed back into the mist with the lunatic following, "In that smoke grenade is a drug that's been in the world for years and there's plenty of Americans that get hooked on it. In fact, there's many teenagers in your age group that do it and go spiraling down because it's addictive sense of euphoria. What is it you might wonder? Well the name is known as…heroin."

Heroin? The Osiris considered many ways to die. Never had he considered it being the conventional tragic ways teenagers did like car wrecks or rapists, much less by drugs! He avoided a thrust aimed to kill. His vision was disoriented and probably beginning to hallucinate. C'mon even Orion was sure that there wasn't a girl flying by her pigtails around (1).

He stumbled through the whiteness when he heard, "muta-te acum _(Romanian: Move now)_!"

Artemis waited only a moment longer before firing. From his scope he had the entire mist in his sight. The bullet he shot went into the mist, igniting the entire cloud.

DOKAN!

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

**(Cavern)**

An explosion was heard and it caused the walls to shiver, "What was that?"

"Most likely Orion and Artemis," Johan informed as they trekked. He paused as they reached an impasse. Literally. There was no way to go forward. It was a dead end, "Of course. Can't expect guys like that to be true to their word."

"Unless it's an illusion," Cynthia chided as she walked up to the wall and put her hand on its surface. However her hand fazed through it, "Yep, an illusion." her hand reached further only to be shocked, "A strong illusion. We'd probably have to break it together."

Johan nodded, taking a wary glance backwards, "We might not have time on our side."

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

**(Lakeside Cave)**

The explosion made everyone lose sight until it died down. Once he could see again, Artemis's eyes were immediately trained onto the scope of his sniper. His sibling served as a distraction long enough for him to scale the wall and summon and set up for his sniper rifle. Crosshairs searched for the head of the demented guy. When he couldn't, he thought he might've blown the man to smithereens. Yet, the thought didn't sit comfortably with the assassin. It was too…easy.

As if hearing his thoughts, bubbles came from the lake below him. Gas Chamber reemerged with a watery cackle, "What a double team! I've dealt with pairs before but I see you both work in a sync that's frighteningly efficient. Wahahaha!"

BANG-SHA!

Gas Chamber was hit square in the back of his head. No blood came out. Actually, the bullet looked as if it has smashed against an impenetrable wall. The man walked drunkenly back onto land with his hazmat suit looking as if it were just cleaned. Worse to both teens, he also looked thinner, "I didn't think I'd have to go so far for a bunch of brats. Many milligrams of precious cyanide had to be wasted. Did you know that it is the drug used in mysteries of centuries before? Especially murder mysteries like _And Then There Were None_. It's like those novels I want to leave all my victims, including you so hurry up and run out of bullets, boy, so I can baffle forensic toxicologists with how I killed you!"

"El e nebun _(He's nuts)_," the sniper commented to himself as he tried to find a different weak point. He shot at the lower back with hopes to paralyze his victim. Yet, Gas chamber moved before it could reach him. The man seemed to be dancing to avoid each shot Artemis could fire. This was not according to plan. It was like he could predict where he was going to shoot and coordinated to avoid it. Was this the gap between them in experience?

His shots were combined with the rounds his brother could manage between blocking the blows from the sword. It was obvious his ability was impaired so Artemis alternated between aiming for the sword and its wielder. It was insane. How could he miss whole magazines of bullets without tiring? And the man was laughing! Like it was some kind of joke. Finally, the poison user spoke, "I give you credit for if I weren't me, I would've been dead by now. But since I am me, I have to say I'm disappointed that I have to end this little dance, but don't fret, I'll leave you a gift."

Gas Chamber threw something with complete accuracy to where Artemis was perched and it detonated. The teen fell off the ledge and fell into the lake, "He's dead for sure now!"

"What makes you say that?" Orion demanded, internally fearing the reasoning yet betraying nothing. Gas Chamber told him, "I already told you. Cyanide. I emptied enough cyanide into this water to create over the LD-50 of hydrogen cyanide. In simpler terms, I put enough that could kill a human in under a minute. Shame cause now I can't hear the strangled cries of that brat."

(Quick flashback to where Gas Chamber resurface considerably thinner. He unloaded the cyanide then) The young mercenary called out into the water, "Artemis!"

"Hey," the escaped asylum resident replied with his poison-coated blade swiped towards Orion. He sidestepped the hit and shot at the crack in the sword his brother managed to make, "Your attention should be on me."

Unfortunately, the students didn't have a choice unless he wanted to be poisoned on the spot. Blue eyes honed on the area of the sword he previously hit. The bullet rang against the metal. Gas Chamber howled, "That was your last chance and your time's run out!"

The blade pierced clean through Orion's abdomen and had him stuck against a boulder. Blood was coughed from his throat. Gas Chamber moved close enough that his actual breath was in the youth's breathing space, "This is my victory, so be good and scream for me as promised?"

He twisted the blade cause more blood to be spat out but there was no scream. Instead Orion aimed his last shot at the blade. BLAM! GASHAN! The sword broke, causing the freak to fall back. Orion sunk onto the ground breathing hard, "Stubborn, huh? I suppose that's what people like us do, cling to life for as long as they can."

Suddenly pain entered his body as a plethora of stabbing stings stuck his backside. It ripped his clothes. However it didn't stop there since a bullet reached each of his limbs and twice in his chest, "Don't compare us to filth like you."

"You!" Gas Chamber turned surprised. "You should be-"

"Dead?" Artemis finished as his barrel released the casings of his Python (2). With a strange serenity he reloaded as a broken blade charged towards him. He ducked and weaved with little to no effort, "Ever wonder why they call us the Lunar Death Twins?"

Gas Chamber hated the sudden cockiness his 'prey' was showing. It agitated so badly he didn't notice until he was stabbed with his own blade. He heard from behind, "And I'll tell you now, it's not because we kill at night."

"You too?" the male questioned when he recognized it. He expect a two-on-one but now the prospect of dealing with both of them at the same time suddenly terrified them. A moment ago they seemed on the brink of death but now…they were eerily stable and acting as if their wounds were non-existent. A kick came from his back and rushed him right into a backhand from the hilt of the Python, "History lesson for you: Artemis was a goddess known for ruling the moon and the hunt."

The backhand was followed by ungraceful clothesline, causing the man to crash against the ground, "Orion is the huntsman that could walk on waves and hunted at with Artemis before he was killed after invoking her and Mother Earth's wrath. After that he was made a constellation in the stars alongside her."

"That's the reason for the Lunar part. Death comes from our last name, Undine," Orion informed as he kicked the man in the face, knocking off the mask to reveal an acid-burned face, "they're immortal water nymphs. Meaning like them, we're hard to kill. However…"

Together they threw Gas Chamber into the infected lake but not before they could shoot him in the lower back. SPLASH! "you can only cross an undine once because afterwards…"

Orion casually tossed his lighter to his sibling, whom lit the flames. Gas Chamber resurfaced as to see the flame. He flailed about, waving his arms wildly. His legs refused to move from the paralysis from the bullet in his back. When he noticed the fire he only grew more desperate, "No! No! Don't kill me!"

On the shore he could see their stoic façade fade into arrogant and sadist smirks. His eyes widened as the lighter was thrown. They finished together, "…she'll condemn you to death!"

Once the fire met the water, it exploded. The entire lake was on fire. A lone agonized cry bayed for mercy. Orion shook his head, "What a dumbass. Even I know about hydrogen cyanide and am smart enough to not make enough to fill this."

"It seems he only knew the toxicity of his poisons, not whether or not it was flammable," Artemis noted. "He probably only got so far because of the number of kills he got away with. Too bad I don't have a camera to record his last moments to prove we killed him."

"Don't need the extra publicity anyway," his sibling reasoned before he winced and sunk to the ground. The moves to put Gas Chamber into the water had taken more energy and focus than he could expend. He was poisoned with three different types. Artemis got on his knees. He was only temporarily disoriented from the explosion that knocked him into the lake, "Do you have…your ballistic knife?"

Grabbing it from his boots, the younger showed it to him. Orion took it…and stabbed at the wound already in his side. More blood poured out, "Idiot! What are you thinking?"

Orion gave himself a moment to process the pain before answering, "His sword…it's poisoned too…this is quicker than sucking it out…" Artemis took the knife back, before examining his twin's wounds, "Your recklessness will get us killed one day…"

His sibling didn't answer as he was drifting back and forth between consciousness. His system was at work combating the unwanted toxins. Artemis sighed as he recited, "Aid the recovery and renew the cells and flesh." a glow enveloped the wound as it grew smaller and smaller, "For once, I'm glad you taught us something, Andersen."

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

_And that's the chapter! Woo and I even added bit of fluff-if you interpret it that way. Yay twincest~_

_Special Note: Notice all the Romanian the twins were speaking in the beginning? That's where they were born so it's their native language. Both figure it detracts their focus to keep talking in another language so they revert back to their first language since it's the one they speak the easiest so when the started speaking English again, they were showing their sudden boost of confidence (because they found out how to use Gas Chamber's trap against him!). How did they figure out that the other was alright? Hello! They're twins!_

_**Authoress' Note:**_

_**1) Free spoilers to whoever gets that reference!**_

_**2) Get used to this. I will shorten the names of the gun makes since I'm pretty sure as a teen I don't use the full name to everything. Python refers to a Colt Python (think of those revolvers you see in the western movies and you have it or refer back to Extra 1)**_


	24. Mission 20: Fifteen Minute Limit

_Kirei: So begins another chapter of the Stigma of Darkness arc. _

_Johan: You're having way too much fun with this aren't you?_

_Kirei: Yep!_

_Johan: Speaking of which, where's Jazz? She hasn't been on the pre-chapter talks for a while._

_Kirei: Hello~! Captured by evil here?_

_Johan: That applies here too? Whoa…_

_Kirei: Depending on what I feel like doing, maybe. As always I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh GX or it would've made a hell of a lot more sense nor all the OC since my mind can't crank out that many characters! But plot is mine! Mine, mine, mine, mine!_

_**Reviewers Response:**_

_Oak-chan:_Johan: _I'm not shallow! That's what Kirei wants you to think! Don't fall for her tricks!_

Orion:_…I want to say I'm happy but I think I'm weirded out by you actually admitting it._

Kirei:_ And Just think that I'm still not to the other chapters that center on them._

_Chrisandersenyuki:__ At this point, no one wants to be on their hit list. And thank you, it's fun to have you think they'll lose right? And well…they are too well-trained to lose so easily. Darn~ Can't go any further unless I'm spoiling but I'm not~!_

_Luving Randomness:_Johan:_…That's not a good reason for debate._

Kirei:_ I don't read it often but when you have that really close brotherly love, it just clicks._

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

**('Dead End')**

Johan and Cynthia were working on the illusion while the others were on the lookout. They were looking down the path they had just come from. Kyoko noted, "I don't hear gunshots anymore."

"That isn't a good sign," Lien thought aloud. The two PAD had their hand pointed against the illusion as if their hands became knives. They struck into the shield as it let out a hissing and whining sound. Their hands tore through the veil as if it were thread. The two teenagers stepped through the hole, holding it open for the students to walk through the tear in the illusion when they heard a blood-curdling shriek.

"…I think they won," Cynthia commented. Suddenly the tear was sealed and the force of the closure rammed Johan and Cynthia into a wall. They got up, shaking off any wooziness in their body. Johan glanced around and noticed they were short one person, "Sakura?"

"_Johan? I'm still on the other side,_" came her voice from the other side of the illusion. However now it sounded as if she were actually on the other side of a rock. He replied, "Hold on we'll get you out in a minute."

The PAD felt onto the veil only to find it was solid. Somehow…it was solid rock. Sakura felt this too and called to her friend, "_Don't bother. I'll find another way_."

"No way-"

"_Johan!_" the dichromatic girl cried, "_Artemis and Orion aren't fighting Gas Chamber so you get popcorn _(1)_, they're fighting so we can save Jazz. You should know by now we can handle ourselves so just go already!_"

Johan was taken back. This was going against a lot of lessons he got drilled into his brain but in his heart…he knew that Sakura was right. Lightly hitting his hand against the wall, the guy sighed before saying, "…we're going. Be careful, alright?"

"_That should be my line, now go,_" the girl responded. She could hear the retreating steps of her companions. Running a hand through her tied green hair, Sakura gazed at the way she had come. Looks like she had to make a u-turn. The girl hiked back through the distance without a trace of any of those monsters they had seen before. She wasn't scared, yet the lack of danger made her feel as if she were wandering into a trap. The Obelisk managed to get back to the lake only to find it on fire, with discarded casings and darts about, "Whoa…what happened here…? Um…Artemis…? Orion…? You guys, ya know, still alive?"

"Taylor?" came a familiar voice, addressing Sakura by her last name. She jogged over towards a boulder where she found her two classmates. Getting onto her knees, she quipped, "What'd you two do? Have a shootout and end it with a flaming water show?"

Artemis recalled the ordeal, "Something like that."

"What happened to that guy? Um Gas Chamber? Did you umm…"

"Kill him?" the assassin finished. She nodded. He found it sort of awkward since unlike his twin and the Andersens, Artemis was talking to someone that probably has no clue about killing, "…yeah, he's probably been burned to a crisp and at the bottom of that lake."

Green and blue eyes cast a nervous glance towards the water. She shivered. Wanting to change the subject, she wondered, "Is he gonna be alright?"

"He just has to let his body run its course. We've built up an immunity to a good amount of poisons so it should be fine." Artemis waved off the concern, only to slightly wince at the motion. This didn't go unnoticed, "And what about you?"

"I'm fi-Ow…" he was about to lie until she smacked the back of his shoulder. She replied, "Uh huh. Take off your jacket so I can examine your wounds or I'll keep hitting you until you do." Either not in the mood to be pestered or too tired, the guy complied. Sakura took out an ointment she was given by Ms. Stevenson. Gingerly moving his shirt as needed, she applied it only to find the burns that were on her classmate's back shrink, "So this really is magic…"

Putting back on his clothes, the assassin replied, "Probably but I'd never get used to using that stuff and not that I'm not grateful, but why are you back here, Taylor?"

"Just calling me Sakura is fine, as for why I'm here…Ehehe…" she scratched her head as she explained her circumstance, "…so I came back here, hoping to find another way back to everyone."

"Practically speaking, that would be waiting for them to return," she was told. Brushing off the dust from her skirt, Sakura stood, "I can't do that so you wait here and I'll be back…probably."

"Wai-" before she could be discouraged from going, Sakura sprinted down the center tunnel without looking back. Artemis, unable to stop her, could only sigh, "God is trying my patience with reckless people like her…Radu."

A chibi magician appeared with a hat that seemed a little too big and robes with longs sleeves that fell over its hands (2). A wand was in its possession. It gave a salute with his staff, "Ya rang?" Artemis asked, "Can you follow Taylor and report anything weird to me?"

"Roger that, Arty! I'll be sneaky~!" the little magician assured his master. The Obelisk knew Clear Mage, or Radu (3) as the card insisted on being called, was a very high-spirited spirit but he was definitely reliable. He saw the card disappear off into the distance. Then he sunk back against the rock, "I can't just sit here and wait either…but what am I going to do?"

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

**(Center Tunnel) **

Sakura walked along the torch-lit corridor. Strangely it was as warm as being one of the North Academia buildings. Gripping onto the staff she borrowed, she continued along until she reached a strip of land that led to an arena sized pillar standing in the middle of the a chasm. There were three other paths that led to other tunnels. Sakura considered which way to go when a blast of bluish-black fire cut off the way she came. Another blast was aimed at her when she duck and rolled out the way, "That was way too close. Who's there?"

A gale set her sailing across the area before a dark blue dragon descended. It looked like it had another layer of white covering some parts of its body (4), "So of all the vessels you could have chosen, you choose a human. You've grown senile with your age, Sky."

Getting back onto her feet, Sakura heard it say 'Sky'. That was her nickname for her duel spirit and 'guardian', Sky Emperor Dragon. She referred to the dragon, "Sky, you know this guy?"

Sky spoke from her deck, _He is my opposite, Damek King Archfiend. We have come to battle with each other on various occasions spanning eons. It seems that day has been reached again, but I cannot battle him like this._

The teenager held her staff in fighting stance. The staff itself wasn't too elaborate with the rod having two curves with a blue jewel embedded between them. However it showed its use as it changed into a spear, "Then I'll just have to fight for you."

"You? A little girl?" Rumbling laughter came from Damek while Sky wondered, _Are you certain? You can only endure using my power for fifteen minutes. _Sakura nodded, allowing the dragon' strength to flow in her veins. Her eyes became more reptilian as she twirled, bringing the spear into a downward arc. The fiend drew back from the swing then swatted the girl away. She skidded on the ground to force herself to stop before she fell over the edge.She held her spear and called, "Lightning!"

Coming to her aid, lightning bolts channeled from the spear and shot out at the dragon. They hissed against the serpent's skin. The dragon didn't seem fazed by the hit, "Well Sky, at least this one seems like she could endure longer than the last. Or maybe that was just luck."

Talons swung towards her, with the Obelisk using the rod of her weapon to defend from the hit. Her feet slid from the force of the hit. Wasting no time she jumped onto the dragon's arm. Sakura ran up the limb, slicing into its body as she ran towards the head.

Using his other hand, Damek tried to swat the student off his arm. She either stepped back before his hand smashed onto his scaly form or flipped over the hand and continued. When she reached her destination, her spear stabbed at his throat though it wasn't very deep due the thickness of the fiend's skin. Damek shook her off and she was falling fast. Holding out her hand she called, "Wind!"

Invisible gusts swirled in a circular motion, slowing her fall to a halt only a few feet from the ground. Getting back onto her feet, Sakura had to move to avoid globes of darkness descending from the air. Her foot got caught on one and she felt the electricity surge through her body. It disoriented her, giving Damek the opportunity to fire dark fire towards her. The fire moved swiftly, there was no way she could avoid it. She braced for impact.

"Clear Aegis!" A crystalline wall formed in front of her. Slightly baffled, she wondered, "Sky…?"

_It was not I. However it was another duel spirit_, the dragon informed her. The shield was holding but it was being pushed back, taking Sakura with it. She reached the edge and was going to fall in the gorge when she planted her spear along side of the platform. Hanging by the rod, she waited.

"Pity, I was hoping for more a challenge. I miss the ages when you were not reliant on a summoner," said Damek, thinking he knocked Sakura into chasm came to the side. He was surprised when Sakura balanced on the top of the weapon. Both her hands were out, "Fire! Wind!"

From her hands expelled a blast of fire and the wind she conjured intensified the flames. It cause d the blue fiend to stagger back slightly. Not skipping opportunity, she back flipped off the spear grabbing it in the process. Sakura tore through the flames doing a series of front aerials with her lance whipping like a spiked wheel. It tore at the monster's skin. Suddenly she stopped and thrust her blade into his abdomen. Inky black vital fluid spurted from it. She gripped the weapon tighter as she accessed Sky Emperor Dragon's strength to throw the dragon into the ground. The earth trembled at the weight. Sakura backed away breathing hard. Her time had to be halfway up if she was beginning to feel the fatigue.

Damek King Archfiend was furious with this battle. He felt as if his opposite was mocking him by using the guise of a human to fight him. The fiend roared in discontent as his wings unfolded with _SNAP_! Unfurling the full wingspan, Damek flapped his massive wings, creating a miniature cyclone that surrounded the green-haired girl. He was no longer on the ground so Sakura couldn't hit him, not that she could've anyway since she was trapped by the tornado-like winds. His hands beckoned stones located around the area. They broke down into smaller parts and added to the gales. To add a finishing touch fire was added, effectively making Sakura feel as if meteorites were ramming her body. She didn't have much time but she couldn't get enough time to focus and break out of the storm of debris.

Damek also knew Sakura was on a time limit. All he had to go was run the hourglass down. Suddenly he heard _click, click…_but before he could question what it was, there was _BANG-SH_! Sound before his right wing was punctured by a projectile that exploded upon contact. He growled as another hit the his other wing then arms, dispelling the tornado. He glanced from where his assailant lurked but didn't find them until he heard a _flick! Chik!_

It came from the destroyed pathway and he was about incinerate his attacker when Damek saw the weapon in time for it to blind him in one eye. Howling in agony the monster ignited random spots across the ceiling and abyss below. _BANG-SH!_ The other eye was pierced, leaving the dragon blind. Sakura was confused by the sudden turn of events when a voice called out, "Taylor, take him out now, while he's blinded!"

"Artemis?" she called somewhat surprised, "But how?"

"I don't know! Go for his heart if he has one," she was told. His heart? There was no way she could pierce it with his thick skin! She would need…she suddenly got an idea from her marksman classmate but it would burn the last of the strength she could from Sky Emperor Dragon. She conjured a funnel of wind directed at an angle towards the fiend. Lightning was added to the spiral as Sakura stood next to the eye of the blast.

Using fire to push her through the funnel and the electricity helping her accelerate through it, Sakura basically made herself a human bullet. With her spear at ready she ripped through the beast. Black blood coated her clothes as she gone through the dragon. Damek wailed in pain as he began to fall down the chasm. He cursed towards both Sakura and Sky Emperor Dragon for the defeat.

Green and blue spheres watched as the fiend disappeared into the darkness. She won. But now she could feel all the fatigue weighing on her as she was falling. Sakura thought she was going to be following Damek to only god knows where. However she was suspended in the air. Actually being stopped was the proper term as the only thing that kept her from plummeting was the hand that held onto hers. Weakly she quipped, "You always seem to be in the right place at the right time."

"Funny, I was thinking the opposite," Artemis responded as he started pulling her back into the tunnel. Without warning, a blast of dark fire shot out from the blackness and hit the edge of the ledge. The rocks crumbled under the force of the hit, causing both of the teens to tumble downward.

At this rate, they were going to die from the fall. That was until a golden light twinkled in the darkness. It expanded until it was revealed as another dragon (5). It swooped and caught the two students. Sakura cried, "Thank you, Sky."

"It is the least that can be done for dealing with Damek for me," the dragon responded. The assassin was still coming to terms with the fact that the dragon was summoned out of thin air. Finally he settled with saying that he would only get a headache trying to understand. Radu appeared in his astral form, "That was a close one, Arty."

Sakura looked over, "Is that your duel spirit?"

"Just one of them. This is Clear Mage," Artemis introduced with the little spell caster whining and hitting the boy (not that he could feel any of it), "You're mean, Arty~! Why can't you just call me by the name you gave me? Maybe you're trying to be cool because a girl can see me!"

In an annoyed tone, said guy replied, "Don't make ridiculous assumptions like that."

The two were dropped off on the other side of the chasm before Sky Emperor Dragon nodded, disappearing back into her deck. Sakura noted, "Well there's no turning back from here…What are you doing?"

"Making sure the imbecile known as my older brother can figure out which way we're going," was the answer as he etched a symbol on a rock facing the other pathways. When he finished, the girl looked down the tunnel they were in, "And hopefully we're going the right way."

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

_Done! Done! Thank god I'm finally done! Well that fight seemed so much longer in my mind but apparently it's shorter when I'm writing it. Anyway! Think you could guess who's fight is next? And anyone guess who's the ringleader yet? _

_**Authoress Notes:**_

1) I couldn't help it XD I loved that line so I used it. Thanks ArrowTLC7!

2) Clear Mage isn't existent and I was really sick of just the four Clear monsters were on the deck list of Yusuke so I made one up. This is what he looks like:

http:/images3(dot)wikia(dot)/_cb20090316212932/yugioh/images/thumb/d/db/Torenka(dot)jpg/300px-Torenka(dot)jpg

3) Radu is a Romanian name meaning 'happy'. Ever since Artemis off handedly commented about Clear Mage fitting the name 'Radu', the duel monster has clung to the name ever since.

4) This is what it looks like:

http:/ycm(dot)wikia(dot)com/wiki/Black-Eyes(underscore)Dark(underscore)Fiend(underscore)Dragon

5) Sky Emperor Dragon!:

media(dot)giant bomb(dot)com/uploads/0/1476/240621-bof4(underscore)Kaiser(underscore)super(dot)jpg

_I haven't done this one a while so~~~ Here's 'What Happens In Vegas'!:_

"Alright, so you guys just hide here until I bring him in and you'll say surprise." Jazzlyn told them as she turned out the lights. The door opens and Rory tells the her, "We need to talk." Rory takes her hand and says, "I believe you're a beautiful lady, Jazzlyn but I don't wanna marry you."

He turns on the light just as Jazzlyn slaps him across the face. All the guests cringe and go 'ooh'. Mike comments, "How's that for a surprise?"

_Need to get away?_

"You're fired," a man says to Orion, "Don't get me wrong you're like a son to me." The said guy replied, "That's because I _am_ your son."

_There's only one place you can go_

In a local pub Orion is with Leon ordering beers. The black-haired guy asked, "Where's the one place where you can step up and be a man?"

"Uh…in the army?" Leon suggested sarcastically.

Miku asks her friend as they were in a bar, "Where can you go to forget all your troubles?"

"Vegas," Orion corrected. Jazzlyn smiled as she guessed the answer, "Vegas!"

The girls are taking their bags out a taxi before they hit the town. It's night with the lights glowing from the casinos and billboards. They giggle as they decide where to go on the boulevard when a beeping is heard. A stretch hummer pulls up. From the sunroof Orion pops up and insists, "C'mon just one drink."

"Your Vegas isn't my kind of Vegas," Jazzlyn quipped, rolling her eyes. Egging her on, he said, "Well maybe it should be."

The stretch is zooming through the streets. Signs flash in the desert night with both crying out in the night in glee. They were laughing by poolside, even pushing each other into the waters. Both the PAD and assassin were at a bar table. She nudged him, "hey, watch this." The woman slid across the counter, cheering in delight until she fell off the side. Everyone wondered if she was alright when she suddenly jumped back up, "Yeah!"

A bit of conversation and a LOT of alcohol leads to the two making out (and probably more but we do not know that). Dressed in dressy clothes from only god knows where and their blood alcohol content way higher than it should be because god only knows how much vodka, Bacardi, and whiskey they went through. The male wraps his arm around Jazzlyn's shoulder, "Yeah, I take her."

(The Next Morning)

Jazzlyn groggily gets up from bed with a serious headache when she looks down at her right hand to find a gift shop ring on her finger. She looks around the room and figures out what happened. She what does she do? Scream of course!

"GODDAMN IT!"

_If you think what happens in Vegas_

"You know what, I'll call you about the annulment," Orion told his 'spouse'. She punched a slip of paper along with some change at his chest, "How about you just e-mail me?"

_Stays in Vegas_

Annoyed with the rudeness of the lady, Orion picked up quarter she threw at him and mocked, "At least we'll always have Vegas!" Jazzlyn, already done with the conversation, huffed.

_Don't bet on it_

Three sevens showed up on the slot machine and lights along with chings could be heard as they were both walking away. The two turn around confused before it clicks, "That was my quarter!"

"So what? I put the quarter in the slot!"

Jazzlyn retorted as she showed her middle finger with her 'wedding ring' on it, "What's mine is yours 'baby'. We're married remember?" The guy face palmed.

_North Academia and Kirei Ryuusei present_

La'Rae, their judge, sat on her chair looking _really_ annoyed at the duo's bickering, "Shut up! God, by the looks of it neither of you know commitment so I'm freezing the 3,000,000 euros and sentencing you to 6 months hard marriage!"

Her gavel was banged in finality with both sides slamming their hands down in protest, "Objection!"

Orion asked, "How hard can it be?"

"With any other guy? Just fine," the brunette mused. "For you? That'll take a miracle."

_This Summer_

_*cue 'Misery' by Maroon 5, starting with 'I am in misery'*_

"Till death do us part," the assassin seriously considered just killing his 'wife' when his companion came from behind and takes the gun from him. Leon tells him, "Not a chance." He then tries to find the sniper rifle only to find his place cleaned out. Jazzlyn with an evil smile responded, "Not if I kill you first."

"Jazz give me the katana…" Miku orders her friend. With a frustrated sigh, she hands over the sword. Blowing a lock of black hair out her face, "All the other weapons too." The girl pulls out a metal detector to check for the weapons.

Orion throws her on the ground and Jazz retaliates by kicking him below the belt.

_Get ready_

The assassin puts a gerbil in her bed while she's asleep. The shifting wakes her up and when she find the rodent in her face, she struggles to pull it off. Then she ends up falling off the bed. The next day Jazzlyn sneaks in the bathroom while her 'husband' is in the shower and spreads baby oil all over the floor. When he comes out he slips back into the shower.

_For war_

Jazzlyn is busy punching and kicking a punching bag, explaining her situation to Miku who had to stand aside unless she wanted to be hit by the bag filled with sand. Meanwhile Orion was shooting at plates as his friend pulling, in a similar situation. Then it goes to where they give a light peck on the cheek. Then back to the hate each other scenes…Jazzlyn exclaimed, "We are never having sex ever!"

"Don't you mean again?" he wondered. She emphasized, "Never again! Ever!"

"Ever?" he challenged

"Ever!" the woman replied.

Sakura commented, "Now that sounds like a real married couple."

Orion opens the door to see two girls. It soon leads into a bunch of girls having a pillow fight in his apartment. He calls Leon and tells him, "There's a hot girl party in my living room."

"Idiot, it's a trap," his friend informed. Blue eyes looked longingly into the living room, denying it, "No, no this happens."

Leon face palmed, "NO, it doesn't!"

The man punches the wall. Jazzlyn turns on the sink, only for the sprayer to soak her clothes. She throws and egg at his head. They dance together without the want to kill each other (for now). Then it switches to Jazzlyn waiting outside of the bathroom when her husband, when he opens the door, "All yours, 'honey'."

She sighs and walks in closing the door. He snickered before Jazz screamed, "God, you're such a bastard!"

_What Happens in Vegas_

"Wait, you don't wanna drink that," Jazzlyn warned, only provoking Orion more. He gulped it all, "That was good, what was that?"

She sighed, "Tropical smoothie with laxative."

He hit his head against the counter, "Damn!"

_Get lucky!_


	25. Extra 3: Leon and Sakura

_Kirei: Back again._

_Johan: She's finally found a time NOT to be on Halo._

_Kirei: Shaddup! Anyway, the laziness of summer has been beckoning so I've slowly slipped into it. I couldn't help it though I'm starting to get sad with the lack of updates on a lot of my favorite fanfics. Now I know how my reviewers feel._

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

Kirei still had all the equipment like she had last time though she still had cricks in her back from having to haul Rory all the way back to North Academia. Did she regret that she knocked him out? Hell no! She would gladly bear the pain for giving the pervert the beating he deserved. Kayla had managed to convince her to leave the blonde in one piece. Kirei massaged her temples as she recalled the whole thing, "At least that's outta the way…Now then, today I have two that are dragon summoner!"

"Way to spoil, Kirei," Sakura told her. The girl huffed, "Not really since I mentioned that in Family Ties."

"No you didn't," Leon pointed out. "All you mentioned was that Sakura was dating Artemis and that my ancestor could summon. Not me."

The authoress flushed, "You know what? Forget it! Moving onto the next subject! Names. Meanings. NOW!" Sakura teased, "Someone's a little testy. Anyways, I'm Sakura Taylor. One of the few characters that don't have a middle name. My first name means cherry blossom while my last name is a variant of 'tailor'."

"And I am Leon Ryuujin Torrington, or at least that's all I can say was my name for the time being," the teen said. "Leon means lion while my middle name means 'dragon king'. My last name isn't really relevant to anything but it means 'land belonging to tory's people'."

"So do your names reveal anything about your ethnicities?"

Sakura nodded, "I'm Japanese but also American. While Leo's Both English and Japanese if it weren't obvious from his middle name or his…rude speech patterns." The said guy said, "Call someone a wanker once or twice and suddenly they think you're a cad."

"Okay, let's move away from the subject before I find more slang than I need. Jobs or activities," Kirei asked. Leon shrugged, "I don't really have time for clubs since I'm usually around the school fixing stuff or doing odd favors for some extra cash."

"Well, I am in archery club along with Artemis and I also do student council," she answered. "And as you say, we're both summoners."

Kirei asked, "Good, good, any hobbies or interests of yours that ya wanna share? Even embarrassing ones, I won't use it against you."

The two looked at each other before doing a quick round of rock-paper-scissors. Leon hung his head while Sakura fist pumped. He admitted, "Besides dueling, I like music. Any and all types in any language. I also have a thing for vehicles in general."

"Damn, that's not embarrassing. That's what a lot of guys like! You disappoint me, Leo. Sakura?" the interviewer pouted. The guy didn't seem to care as he reclined on the chair while his friend, "Um…reading anything especially any gritty plotline. I also like dragons and cooking."

"You both don't know how to entertain a girl do you?"

"Not really. That's your job for the plotlines. Unfortunately, I see torture and all sorts of drama in my future. What a pain," Leon said in a nonchalant tone. Kirei said, "I don't know if I'm amused or just plain annoyed by your banter. Just do you song so I can figure it out."

The two were doing rock-paper-scissors again. And Sakura won. Again, "Sorry Leo, I guess it's just not your game."

"More like my luck is complete crap," he answered as he went up onto the stage. Music played. (The song used is called 'day break' it is the character song for Loki in Matanei Loki Ragnarok. Either look up the song or paste the link: youtu(dot)be/IFd2jEmAFq8

"_My sight has lost its haze_

_Colors have painted the monochrome_

_A perfect scene unfurls, a beautiful dream…._

_I'm not one for luck but I feel fortunate_

_For the storms of my sorrows has finally blown past_

_Dews of hope linger on the grass_

_While songbirds begin melodies of tomorrow_

_Yes, it seem that day has at last come…_

_I am looking up_

_Viewing the sky for the first time for nearly an eternity_

_The world looks a little bit brighter_

_Even my soul feels lighter_

_So is this the emotion that is hope?_

_I don't want it back, the cloak of sadness_

_Back to the broken glass that was my heart_

_Maybe it was chance, or possible destiny_

_That day I met you all, it's a blessing_

_It is you who saved me, an optimistic ray_

_Before dawn breaks through, promising another day_

_Ah~That day has come_

_Thank you, thank you_

_For the times I spent with you_

_From the depths of my heart, I'm grateful_

_The laughs, the smiles, it's all because of you_

_Things are looking up, I am glad_

_I pray this dream never fades_

_I am looking up_

_Viewing the sky for the first time for nearly an eternity_

_The world looks a little bit brighter_

_Even my soul feels lighter_

_So is this the emotion that is hope?_"

Both Kirei and Sakura clapped, "Wow, Leo, didn't think you had it in you to sing!"

"You threatened to harm my deck if I didn't," he deadpanned. Kirei innocently smiled and waved the comment off, "Details…details…Sakura, you're up!"

"She says it so happily," the green-haired girl said as her friend remained on stage while she came up. She readjusted the mic while he was setting up an amp and pulled the cord in before putting it into an electric guitar. He strummed the intro to the song. (This song used is Hitohira no hanabira by Stereopony. Search or link: youth(dot)be/h3qDcGKsuXM) When it came to the song, Sakura gripped the mic, rocking the stand,

"_Roar with the passion in your heart_

_Never surrender to the fear or animosity_

_Even if your hands are trembling,_

_Make them tremble and cower at your might_

_Find the power within yourself_

_Love is such a fragile existence,_

_Yet it is everyone's drive_

_When you have it, it's bliss higher than cloud nine_

_When you lost it, the Armageddon of the heart has arrived_

_I want to preserve that feeling_

_To protect the ones most precious to me_

_No matter the risk, I'll definitely never lose again_

_Burn and kindle that inextinguishable will of fire_

_Become that shield that guards from all the dangers_

_Even if the rays of hope are dim_

_Embrace your courageous soul within_

_Let the iridescent wings be your guide_

_The shattering of the heart is an unparalleled agony_

_Being locked in you heart, a restless comatose_

_Over come with grief, trapped in a desolate wasteland_

_I don't wanna return to that scary place once more_

_Emperor of the sky, I pray not to lose those I care about_

_Protect them,_

_Please lend me strength_

_Put your faith in me,_

_With this flesh, mind, and soul of mine_

_Until my breath is gone_

_I'll be your guardian dragon_

Leon did a guitar solo before she continued, "_Giving retribution to those that'll harm you_

_Keep you safe, my most precious person_

_This is the best I can do_

_Roar with the passion in your heart_

_Never surrender to the fear or animosity_

_Even if your hands are trembling,_

_Make them tremble and cower at your might_

_Find the power within yourself_

_Put your faith in me,_

_With this flesh, mind, and soul of mine_

_Until my breath is gone_

_I'll be your guardian dragon_"

With that she bowed and both came down with the girl, "That was great! Now for the song inspiration and such. Sakura's song is called 'Dragon's Fire'. Yes, it plays off the fact she is bonded with dragons but it is also about how she is one that is always willing to put herself up when it comes to people she cares about.She makes a reference to Sky Emperor Dragon twice. One is when she says 'iridescent wings' since Sky's are like that and 'emperor of the sky'.

Leon's on the other hand is called 'Looking Up'. It is one that's more about him being happier after entering North Academia. He is glad he met his friends and thanks them for it. When it uses a lot of analogies and the like, I made it to show that much like Jazzlyn, he's intelligent enough to be in any dorm but is in Osiris. And now I am done!"

"Really? That seemed faster than usual," Sakura noted.

"Yep, now I'm off to go find some cake?" The two students sweat dropped, "Good luck with that…"

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

_Finally done with another character song segment! Yay!_

_Um…I have an announcement that I'm not sure if you'll kill me for…so…*ducks behind bulletproof table* I've accepted to create a South Academia! *hides* and you want to know why I said yes even though I'm still working on the other Academias? Well, apparently, I have the inability to say no even over the internet so there. That and I love Jim! Who doesn't? I'm still waiting to find an Amon fan. Maybe when I do, I'll have an East Academia._

_But yeah, anyone that wants to join in on this train, I'm pretty sure you know the drill by now and no twins:_

Name: Ethnicity:Age: Deck:Appearance:Gender:Personality:

Special Conditions (medical, mental, etc.):

Interests: Dislikes:Dorm (Osiris, Ra, Obelisk):


	26. Mission 21: A Danger to Women!

_Kirei: Back again to do another chapter of the Stigma of Darkness._

_Johan: And trust me, feel glad she decided to do this one, she had the urge to do some of her non-GX fanfics._

_Kirei: Yes, yes…hey Johan, what do you think about the arc so far?_

_Johan: You're asking me? …Well it's sorta hard to like something when you're looking for your little sister in a duel monster infested death trap._

_Kirei: So you like it?_

_Johan: *sighs* Yes, Kirei, I like it._

_Kirei: Yay~! I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh GX nor all OC but I do own plot!_

_**Reviewers Response:**_

_Wind Spirit Kazuya:_Johan: _I would like to save her but the way things are going in Kirei's head, I will not get that chance for a while._

_Oak-chan:_Kirei: _Sky is amazing~ and I liked making Radu. I sorta was thinking like Manjoume and the Ojamas. And yes, I have to do something with Arty and Sakura…eventually. And dang it~ I did spoil it!_

Jazzlyn:_ Marry him?_

Orion:_ Marry her?_

Both: _Hell. No._

_Chrisandersenyuki:_Kirei: _Thank you. The fight and songs take a lot of work to make._

Jazzlyn:_ You think me getting stupid drunk and getting hitched to an idiot like him is hilarious?_

_Luving Randomness:_ Kirei:_ He was supposed to be forgotten about so it's more surprising when Arty showed up._

Johan: _You don't bring up an argument and not debate it._

Jazzlyn: _Finally! Someone who thinks I'm in a bad situation!_

Kirei:_ To tell the truth, I have the same kind of hate of Amon like I have for Suzaku. I understand what he was trying to do and it was noble but the things he did along the way like hold that duel party was wrong. But, I'm interested in writing EA (EA Sports. It's in the game!)_

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

**(Lower Caves)**

It had been about 15 minutes since the remaining group had left the rocks behind along with left another one of their friends. No one said anything about it, until the most scared of the teens called, "First Undine now Miss Taylor, I thought you said you're supposed to protect civilians like us!"

His roommate sighed, "Rory, I can't stop people that decide to do something dangerous."

"Besides," Leon reasoned, half-annoyed by the guy, "It might give you a chance to grow some balls."

The blonde quivered, "J-Just because I am not a ruffian such as you doesn't make me any less of a man."

"Call me one more medieval insult, Ashford, I will find one of those monsters and personally feed you to them," the Osiris threatened. La'Rae quipped, "Ladies, ladies, you're both beautiful, but can we focus on the matter at hand? Johan, Cynthia, you have any idea how much longer we are from finding that guy? I think the lack of space is starting to make the guys nuts (1)."

Cynthia replied as they entered another dome-like cave This one comprised of small rocky platforms only enough for one person to stand on. Only in the center was there a platform large enough for multiple people to be on (2), "None. We may keep wandering here for hours without a trace of Jazzlyn."

That did not help reassure the blonde, "Eh? So we are meandering with no directions. Doomed to perish in a wretched place such as this!" Everyone hit the guy in his head. Johan put an emphasis on his words as he told the blonde, "We. Are. Not. Gonna. Die. If I learned anything about you all, it's that you're good at surviving. You will not die so long as you're with any of us."

"Really?" he asked. The small smiles and nods reassured him. Johan set out first to test the stability. When he landed on one, it sunk slightly before rising back into place. Wind blew from beneath the space between all the platforms. Johan peered into the chasm and noted, "Amazing…"

Cynthia jumped onto the platform next to his, "Johan, you can marvel at the mechanics later."

"That's not it, I'm looking at the wind. It's not what's keeping these suspended. But if you fall…it'll pull you back up and the bottom of these are pointed," Johan noted as he jumped. However he floated higher than a jump should've been and he landed hard on another platform 3 away from the previous one. "And the wind's strong enough to lift any of us. Anyone light has to be really careful! And don't fall!"

Lien took a leap next and landed on her butt, "Of course. I don't wanna be skewered."

Everyone was cautious with moving. Suddenly the wind shut off, causing gravity to kick in faster. Cynthia, Lien, Rory, and Kayla, who were jumping at that time, fell short on their destination. Cyn landed roughly on her back while the two were going to fall to through the cracks. Kyoko managed to jump and catch the tiny Ra before sliding onto the middle platform where Miku and Yuki were standing. Lien managed to grab the ledge so she didn't slip. Rory, the only unfortunate one, slipped through the cracks but was caught by Johan.

"What the heck was that?" La'Rae questioned as she headed to where her roommate was dangling. Suddenly, from inside the middle of the center platform did they hear a drilling sound. A hole opened in the area and a boy emerged from it. He almost seemed normal except his nails and tongue were ungodly long. His eyes examined the faces before him, "Well, I have to thank that guy for letting me screw with some real girls for once. It's fun having all those left over experiment at first but then you start think they all have some kinda cosplay fetish. Shame I can't keep all you honeys, but I guess you four will do just fine."

Before anyone could question the strangeness of his statement, all the platform excluding the center one, rocked and tilted about. And anyone that on them plummeted into the chasm. Yuki called, "Minna!"

She wanted to use her power to create a safety net-something-to catch her friend before they ended up stabbed by a slab of rock. However she was stopped when something wrapped her waist. A sleazy voice said in her ear, "Where ya going sweetie? The fun's only just begun."

A sharp pain was felt after that. The part of her top covering her abdomen was torn. She flushed at the sudden exposure. Blood faintly dribbled from a scratch against her pale skin. The guy was before them again, "I like your skin, it's like freshly fallen snow."

The four girls were on guard but it didn't intimidated their opponent. He seemed excited as he seemed to drool. Miku asked, "Anyone else getting a serious hentai vibe from this guy?"

"What was your hint, the fact he called us honeys or the fact he just ripped through Yuki's clothes?" Kyoko wondered as she muttered a few foreign words before holding out her hand. From her body did a chain shoot out with her catching the sickle at the end (3). Following suit Miku and Kayla undid the seal on her body and an inscribed parchment respectively to release a bunch of small chakram (4) and a pair of neko-te (5).

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

**(Chasm)**

Johan could predict many things, but what just occurred was not one of them. His first concern didn't go towards himself but his friends left alone with yet another psychotic person. But the situation at hand forced the PAD to reassure himself that the girls had the advantage of numbers. Rory was still clinging to him, definitely scared out of his wits. With his enhanced vision, Johan could see both Lien and La'Rae falling together. He told the blonde, "Rory, you have to let go of my hand."

"Are you insane?"

"You can cling to wherever else but I need my hands free," the marksman informed. Quickly did the guy wrapped his arms around the bluenette's waist. Ignoring the awkwardness of the situation he aimed left arm up, "WATCH, activate grappling hook."

The stake-like hook shot upward. It impaled one of the rocky surfaces but he continued downwards to catch up to the two Ra. He reached as he called, "La'Rae! Lien! Take my hand!"

"Do we really have a choice?" La'Rae asked half-jokingly to disguise her panic. She grabbed her fellow Ra by her wrist before reaching up and clasping Johan's. The rope from the grappling hook became taut, halting their fall completely. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Johan peered around for his adoptive sister, "Cyn? Leo? Where are you both?"

"Johan! We're both below you but we're fine!" her voice was drowned out by the sound of winds picking up again. They were weightless as they were floating back up. Now here came the hard part: avoiding becoming student kabobs.

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

**(Center Platform)**

The lecher didn't seem intimidated as he was assaulted by chains, chakram, and needles of ice at the same time. He weaved around them with the flexibility of a snake and was fast enough to end up behind the four. RIP! Some part of their clothing became shorter. He looked back and whistled, "Man, the girls get sexier each year. It's because of the cold weather you can't see any of it though so let me strip you."

"No chance in hell!" Miku called indignantly as she threw multiple chakrams in his direction. They were around him when she interlocked all her fingers except her middle finger which were pressed together with the remaining fingers tangled together, "Zojo-ten, strike with a flash of heaven's flame!"

All the chakrams paused in their movements as they became illuminated with noisy and blue-white energy. Lightning burst from the weapons and electrocuted the guy. When it finished, the chakrams clinked against the ground. Smoke rose from his skin as he fell against the ground. They thought it was over when they could hear laughing. He disappeared again and reappeared before the black-haired Osiris, "Uh uh uh, I'm gonna have to punish you for that, babe."

He dug his talons deep into her thighs. Miku winced as he pulled back, making her pants into shorts. Then he kneed her in the stomach. She fell off the platform but was quick enough to grab onto the edge to keep from falling. The guy was going to push her over the edge when Kyoko threw her chain at the back of his head. However his hand shot out and caught it, "Next~"

"Shimatta (6)!" the Osiris exclaimed, stepping back only to be tripped by her own weapon. It entangled her legs and the remaining chain was wrapped around her arms. Trapped she fell, unable to defend against any attacks. Her red eyes glared at the assailant but it only made him more attracted, "I like a girl with some bite, it makes it more fun to break."

"Kisama (7)…!" she hissed. Ice spears prevented the guy prevented him from getting closer. Bewildered he whipped around to see the only two able fighters. Yuki proclaimed, "Back off, ero-shounen (8)."

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

**(Chasm)**

What does intense wind plus solid rock equal? Johan quickly found that the answer is pain. He was hit in his side from the spike but managed to keep his companions safe. The gales made it difficult to move much less climb-especially if you're being pressed back by the weight of three people. All they needed to do was reach the opening then the current would push them back to the surface so Johan pulled against the current to push them through the cracks. He heard the cracking in his left arm as they wafted upward.

They floated in the air to see Yuki using needles she created out of ice while Kayla made her way to help Miku and Kyoko. She threw them to stop her opponent for even a moment. The yuki-onna struggled to match his speed. He couldn't stand still long enough for her to freeze him. She had to keep him from running away. As if suddenly inspired Yuki inhaled before releasing a breath of cold. It coated the ground with slick spots and like a North student careless on the terrain, her opponent slipped.

Using the mishap as an opportunity, ice spears were summoned in mid-air and descended like rain. It stuck the guy by his clothes to the ground. Yuki huffed. Never had she utilized her ability so much and it strained her more since she was in an environment that wasn't freezing or had snow.

"Nice going, Yuki!" La'Rae called out to her friend. The girl nearly returned the compliment when howling laughter was heard. Her black locks whipped around as she saw the boy wasn't fazed. He was _laughing_, "Oh man, I love this! I'm getting riled up and everything."

Rory commented disdainfully, "What a despicable cad."

"I have had to work so had to get in with a girl before. I miss the thrill of the chase. So baby, wanna step this up to the next level?" he challenged before blurring out of sight. Fresh cuts appeared on the girls as their clothes were torn further. Johan called out to them when a cry from behind him diverted his attention. Green tendrils wrapped around Lien, dragging her back down. He cursed as he took her hand to try and pull her back up. Rory and La'Rae balanced pulling the Ra and keeping them from toppling over the edge.

Meanwhile, the girls facing their dirty-minded adversary were at an impasse. It was bad enough he was insanely fast. They were also inexperienced fighters. Winning didn't look plausible. At least until a meek voice said, "I have an idea."

Yuki, Miku, and Kyoko were surprised by Kayla speaking up. The petite Ra's had lost her glasses sometime during her fight but she appeared to fine, confident even, without them. She whispered her plan to the girls, before they stared back at their opponent. Hopefully it would work…

The trio of teenagers nearly pulled Lien from the tendrils' grasp when it tipped the balance yet again by dragging La'Rae down as well. Johan held steadfast to the girls while Rory tried to ensure Johan wouldn't fall. The energy was winning, successfully pulling both females off the platform, but it still received a fight from the clinging PAD. It was a stalemate until a light could be seen from lower down. At first it was a speck but within seconds it expanded into a tornado of fire. The flames struck at the guy's abdomen and hand. He withstood it until his hands were slicker and his friend's grip slipped loosing both to the dark. Johan almost went after them when a painful sensation overwhelmed him. He was pulled back up. Even knowing that his friends were not in the lower depths of the abyss, the stubborn PAD would look. He reached for his WATCH but flinched when his right hand felt as if it were on fire. It wasn't on fire but red and blistered.

Burned.

Charging in at once would overwhelm a single enemy but the boy hadn't been intimidated. He easily evaded and countered the girls with ease. He proved that he had terrifying strength as he threw both Yuki and Miku nearly off the edge behind him. Kyoko managed to tangle his feet when he reversed entanglement and punched her diaphragm. She doubled over in plan. He mocked the last standing person, "So that was your plan? Pretty weak, kitten."

"I won't let you get away with hurting my friends," her timid voice sounded strong as she held out her hand claws to him. They rushed at each other with their claws doing the talking. The boy, although strong and fast, swung wildly. Kayla swiped at him as if she naturally possessed talons. She matched him when she tumbled back, and swung in a downward arc. The talons from her claws detached and flew like daggers.

She thought she had her target when he side stepped the attack. Her face fell and paled. Her normal nature was back as Kayla trembled from the cold and fear. The guy staggered like a drunkard towards, "Ooh, kitty had some claws. I'll forgive this once if you just let me have my way."

Did she really have a choice? Kayla's face reddened as she reached for the buttons to her shirt. She undid one then two before pausing She looked up at him with a feline-like smirk, "…Idiot."

The meaning of her words weren't understood until the claws from Kayla's neko-te entered his peripheral vision. They crossed in front of his body before looping back behind him. His eyes looked at the girl pull her arms back. As if by magic his body was flying back and smacked against a pillar of ice. It was then he could see the near invisible wire hanging from Kayla's claws before chains wrapped around his frame as well. Cold metal was near his throat his eyes met the red eyes of Kyoko, "I wouldn't try escaping unless you wanna go kuh-lik!"

She drew her finger over her neck as she made the noise. Their other friends rejoined them on the center platform. When Miku noticed two missing, she asked, "Where's La'Rae? And Lien?" The PAD only could shake his head as he took off his coat and extended it to her. She flushed as she noticed half her clothing was in tatters. The other guys also offer up their jackets with Cynthia placing hers over Kayla's frame. The vampire then told her sibling, "Johan, there was nothing you could do. Don't beat yourself up over it."

"Bu-"

"They're fine," a voice interrupted them both. Golden reptilian spheres shone in the darkness of the room. The detectives naturally were alarmed by the presence when Kyoko called, "Wait! He's the dragon that got us back to campus! And showed us that entrance! He's no bad guy."

"Indeed, I am not, but I cannot interfere with that guy's deeds," the dragon replied. "only ensure that you remain alive. If you exit through that way and go to the left, you will definitely find one of those girls. The other will most likely meet with the others that were lost. Please go now before he gets suspicious."

No one would argue with the serpent but as the teens headed out, the yuki-onna turned back. She nearly called out when the beast growled, "_Go._"

Hushed into silence Yuki dashed off, half-frightened. The black dragon descended from his perch on the wall before coming onto the center platform. He wrapped his body around himself as the serpentine body was replaced with a human form. He had black hair with gold eyes that shone with a malicious glint as he gazed at the defeated boy who called out, "Man you let them go? But they were so fine, Yoshiya. I thought a guy like you could understand. Now let me out so I can beat them to the next place."

"You…guys like you disgust me the most," the now human creature, Yoshiya, walked closer as he grasped the sickle handle to the kusari-gama wrapped around the wolverine-like boy. "Males that believe that they can treat a lady any fashion they please. Like some kind of toys. I've met a man like you and I believe scum like you two…" in one motion he decapitated the guy. Blood splattered on his face, "…should just die."

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

_Wahahaha! I felt like leaving it on that note! Oh no! WE lost two more! What's going to happen now? Will everyone meet again? Find out next time!_

_**Authoress Notes:**_

_**1) La'Rae is referring to an experiment that put a lot of women in one room and a lot men in another. It showed that women were socializing just fine but men started getting agitated and aggressive. **_

_**2) I don't know how to explain this one without making weird analogies. If you look at the area from a bird's eye view you would see a really large circle in the middle and a bunch of mini circles surrounding it. Does that make sense?**_

_**3) Kyoko's weapon: It is a mini sickle with a chain attached. This is a Japanese weapon known as a kusari-gama.**_

_**4) chakram: It is a circular weapon that is sharp around the outer part of the ring. For some visual aid, if you know Kingdom Hearts, that's what Axel's weapons are. **_

_**5) neko-te: These are hand claws. Think of it as wolverine's claws only on a glove.**_

_**6) Shimatta: A Japanese interjection that can mean an array of things like "Oh no!", "Oh crap!" but it common translated as "Damn it!" and "Shit!". The latter is the context Kyoko mean to use it.**_

_**7) Kisama: It literally means 'your honorable self' but is used with negative connotation. It normally is translated as "Damn you!" or "bastard!"**_

_**8) ero-shounen: Based off the nickname Naruto uses for his master, Jiraiya, ero-shounen is translated as 'perverted boy' but it sounds so much funnier in Japanese.**_


	27. Extra 4: Chrysanthemum

_Kirei: Hey minna._

_Everyone: *holding guns, swords, and other pointy objects along with torches* *stamping feet impatiently*_

_Kirei: Meep! I-I don't mean t-to take so long! I-I sw-wear!_

_Johan: What's your excuse this time, Kirei?_

_Kirei: School. It's not summer anymore so I'm back to school and if I'm not doing homework, my parents have me applying for college. I have to do eight applications, and that is not including the scholarships. Plus, I've been busier than ever socially._

_Jazzlyn: You're getting there, anything else you wanna add?_

_Kirei: Creative writing._

_Everyone: ?_

_Kirei: I have creative writing this semester and I recently just turned in my short story. I've been working on it for the past few weekends__¾meaning I had to bump my fanfics to write it. Remember, good grades=Kirei keeping her computer. But I feel bad for being on hiatus so long so I'm posting it for you all._

_But before you ask why I'd post it here, I'll tell you. When I doing story drafting, I was writing about the Lunar Death Twins adventures in North so I decided to use them for the story. However, even though their appearance and background is the same, this is AU, for reasons that you will find out later. That and they are much more…_

_Johan: Vicious?_

_Kirei: Yep! So it won't be surprising if you find that they're out of character. So without further ado…I present Chrysanthemum_

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricity~AllHailEccentricity~AllHailEccentricity~AllHailEccentricity~~~~~**_

**(Orion's POV)**

"I don't get it, Papa," I said, "If we're supposed to be hired by businesses and politicians, wouldn't that mean¾ya know¾being in the city? Why are we comin' all the way out here?"

He paused in his leisurely pace, forcing both me and Artemis to stop. I took the opportunity to move the scarf from my mouth. The yarn was starting to get moist from my breath, and the snowfall was not helping.

"Why is the sky blue? Why is does it snow? If your shooting was as fast as your mouth, maybe we wouldn't be out here," he answered.

_Didn't have to be a dick about it_, I thought while I readjusted my pack bumping against my back as our hike continued. Then again, the old man's always been a stiff about anything related to the family business.

_Learn every trade available. _

_Avoid using modern transportation. _

A multitude of lessons engrained into my brain simply because the bastard thought it was important. Maybe his paranoia was justified since it only takes one mistake¾one flaw¾to end up on death's front door in our profession.

Nothing could be heard over the whispers of the icy winds and the snow crunching under our boots. Other than us, the only splotches of color were the naked trees and exposed ridges of the mountains. Everything else was snow that covered the terrain in pure blinding whiteness. Maybe this was what heaven would look like.

"Orion, pay attention," Artemis scolded, breaking my reverie. Shifting from my day dreams, I noticed that we had stopped in front of a trunk wider than my arms span. Papa scratched at the bark to carve some kind of marker. He spoke while he worked, though I missed most of the conversation. When he finished a flawless crescent was cut into the coarse surface.

With a flick of his wrist, the bowie knife he used was embedded in the bark, "Three days. I will return here this time on the third day, got it?"

"Understood," Artemis and I responded.

"Remember, survive by any means. Whether that be fighting the wildlife or getting rid of any…_unnecessary_ weights. You might rely on your instinct and kill off the weak, or end like survivors desperate for food and result to cannibalism."

His pale blue eyes glanced towards us. Neither of us betrayed our anxiety nor demoralization, but the old man was experienced enough to recognize when he had unnerved his target. He was kidding, right? To assassinate a potential political threat was one thing, murdering your twin was another. Was he seriously implying that we should kill each other?

From an assassin's standpoint, this was a golden opportunity for murder. The forest was secluded from civilization. Residents of the area were preoccupied with the preparations for Christmas. The crime scene would be buried under the continuous snowfall. It would be a perfect crime…but that was blatant fratricide.

The uneasiness must've shown because dad's robust chuckle seemed to mock me, "I was joking. If you're really my kids, then you'll make the right decision."

His dark gloves, reached for our heads. Despite the pleather and lining covering his hand, I could feel the calluses and healing gashes on his palms. He ruffled the dark hair both Artemis and I inherited from him, "Don't forget that you're brothers. Twins at that. Flesh and blood that entered the world at the same time. Hopefully you don't leave the same time too."

"Papa, please just stop. You're not funny," Artemis voiced, also not amused by the scare tactics.

Papa grimaced, "I'll let that one slide. Better get on the move. Remember-"

"Three days."

"And-"

In perfect sync, we answered, "Survive by any means."

With the assurance we actually listened to his instructions, Papa reversed the path we had taken. The footprints were immediately lost as windswept snow filled the gaps his boots left. Within minutes his form was no more than a blur within the haze of whiteness. Another minute and any evidence of his existent was erased.

**Day 1**

My gaze wandered towards the sky. Judging the position of it, I guessed it was five something. Night had descended as the temperatures quickly dropped further. A shiver shook me as I pulled down on the black hat I wore. We needed to get to work because I sure as hell didn't wanna be freezing my ass off all night trying to set up camp. I kept the sleeping bag and its cover from the ground as I dropped my backpack and unzipped it. Inside was a compass, flashlight, trowel, a roll of gauze, a metallic water bottle, and a chocolate ration bar. I held it and quickly found it was one of those discontinued kinds. The ones removed because they were just that awful to ingest, "Damn."

"What?" Artemis wondered, glancing over his sibling's shoulder. His stoic expression was replaced with a grimace, "Is that really—"

"I think so," I responded to his unasked question before I replaced the chocolate with the trowel. _Papa really meant for us to be roughing it, didn't he? _I sighed before starting my search for grass. I sensed eyes on me, "If we both do it, it'll go a lot faster."

"What's the point if it's snowing?"

Another sigh escaped me, "If we work fast enough, we can make a patch big enough for a fire, and for us to sleep on. Plus, if we pack the snow, it'll make a wall between us and the wind."

Arty's face showed nothing and he said nothing. We didn't speak as we worked, but be it intuition or twin telepathy, I could sense he was annoyed.

**Day 2**

A red flower brushed against my face when I opened my eyes. An involuntary shudder ran down my spine from the frozen petals' touch. Carefully easing myself from the miserable cocoon I called a shelter, I glanced around to find the dying embers of last night's fire. To the left of me was Artemis, fast asleep.

I decided to try and find something edible. Slipping on my damp boots, I stood and checked my only weapon¾a knife sheathed on my right thigh. I reached for it as I left our campsite.

Hunting in the winter is not easy, especially since many animals are burrowed in obscure spots within the snow. It also didn't help that their coats were lighter in the winter, allowing them to blend with surroundings. And the poor visibility only aided to the animals' camouflage. Yet, I had to look on the bright side, with the snowy season, the large game such as bears were hibernating.

CRACK!

The sound of twigs snapping caused me to pause. I spied a deer¾a fawn¾roaming near saplings probably twenty feet away. Its gray coat clung to its developing muscles as it traversed the ice. The creature was the first I had seen during the hour I've been out there. Its black eyes darted about the surrounding before continuing its scavenge for food.

I could only sneak five feet before the young deer was aware of my presence. It sprinted into the forest of leaf-bare trees. I followed suit, trying not to trip over the trees' hidden roots. The deer was swift for a fawn, as I had difficulty keeping up with it. However, I was beginning to gain on it¾my knife just inches from its legs.

Suddenly, pain burst from my side. My concentration switched from the fawn to the agony in my lower abdomen. The source of the pain protruded from my side¾an arrow. Sinking to the ground to avoid any further assaults, I sheathed my knife before grasping the makeshift weapon. Bracing myself for the pain, I closed my eyes as I pulled the shaft out.

"Fuck!" I exclaimed, while I placing a hand over my injury. I stared at the sky, trying to catch my breath when I heard footsteps. Hoping to ambush my assailant, I crawled behind a thick trunk. My blood left a trail for them to follow.

Footfalls approached, louder with each step. I noticed the leg of my attacker before instinct overwhelmed me. I dove at the person, causing them to lose balance. Powdered snow flew into the air. It stung my face and blinded my vision. This didn't deter my fight with the unknown attacker. I punched while my legs tried tangled with the person's legs. Shouts were directed towards me, but they were drowned out by my heart beating in my ears. I took blows to my body as we tumbled in the snow.

We stopped when I rammed my assailant against a tree. I stared at the blue eyes of my attacker, who glared at me, "What the hell was that for?"

I didn't answer, still in my stupor. My body was released from its high of adrenaline, leaving me dazed as I stared at my twin. I could hear the blood still rushing within my veins. It made my hands twitch as he propped himself up by his elbows, showing his disdain, "Answer me!"

His voice dissolved the last of my confusion and restlessness, leaving contempt and frustration, "What the hell was that for? What the hell was that for? You shot me with a fucking arrow! I thought someone was trying to kill me though _you_ came pretty close!"

"Me? You're the one that leaves with no warning, leaving me wondering if you went off and got killed!" Artemis argued.

"Ha! That's the _last_ thing that should be on your mind," I replied.

He said, "You're right because I should be worrying whether or not my brother's gonna slit my throat."

His words were venomous. Those eyes shades lighter than mine shone with animosity. However, I was sure that I was showing the same expression. Slit his throat? At that moment, that sounded very tempting.

We hadn't seen each other the hunting 'accident'. I returned to camp to dress the gash along my chest. Arty hadn't come back since our little spat, and quite frankly, I was content with that. Right now I was angry with his inability to judge me from an quadruped. The blood loss left me light-headed and I couldn't do anything strenuous unless I wanted to reopen the wound. I shivered furiously since I had to take off my shirt briefly to wrap the stab with gauze.

_It was all his fault_, I thought cynically. Artemis obviously didn't know much about camping out here. I gave him the benefit of the doubt when we were setting up camp, but this wound I got made it clear. I can't afford any more screw ups or I won't last the night. My disoriented vision and paling skin attested to that.

Suddenly, I heard a faint 'shah' sound. Like something being drug across the frosty ground. He returned with a gray-colored doe, probably the mother of the fawn I chased earlier. Sweat stuck his ebon locks to his frost nipped face. The cold made his breath visible as he said, "Since you couldn't do anything, I found one large enough for both of us."

_Is that an apology?_ I shook the thought from my head. Artemis hadn't noticed the expression of disbelief I wore since his back was to me. He began to skinning the creature. The smell was awful and I noticed blood to dye the snow. I watched as the deer was slowly mutilated. Its dilated eyes staring at me and its face permanently contorted in a mask of horror. My thoughts flashed towards seeing another in the same fashion: unmoving and bleeding with sightless eyes.

I felt a more primal feeling stir: bloodlust. No, I always had that lust, just like other 'wild' assassins¾the ones that killed for fun and the ones that truly believed they couldn't live without bloodshed. The bloodlust and irritation in my body screamed for my blade to plunge into something. To paint my knife with crimson.

_Kill him,___the murderer inside me called, _Kill him!_

Why not? Then I wouldn't have to worry about any more incidents nor provide sustenance for anyone but myself. Wasn't just like what Papa had told us? He may have said it jokingly but the geezer doesn't joke breezily about murder. Kill off the weak. Yeah, just kill them off.

Yet, my hand trembled. I can't do it. I drop the blade and turn away disgusted and sick. Why did Papa say those words? Those seductive and damning words? I nearly killed Artemis! My brother that came from the same womb. The one I had been partnered with for my entire thirteen years of life. Why…?

"_Don't forget that you're brothers. Twins at that. Flesh and blood that entered the world at the same time…"_

Those words suddenly rang in my head. They left me in shock, as if I were just slapped in the face. My agitation melted as I nearly started laughing. The old man's a bastard to do all this just for one damn lesson.

_Had he even considered if we'd make the wrong choice?_

**Day 3**

Crosshairs trained on the vicinity the two brothers rested. It had been in this position for nearly 3 hours. The person behind the crosshairs had no interest in sniping the brothers. Spying was the scope's only purpose wile the .50 caliber sniper aimed downward for 'safety measures'. Andrei-Orion and Artemis's father-intended the camping experience to gauge the boys' killer instinct. Neither of them died and that was sufficient for the assassin to decide it was time to take his boys home.

Andrei left no remnants of his campsite. Food items burned in the campfire before the flames were doused and hidden beneath a layer of icy powder. He descended from his perch and scaled the small cliff side with relative ease. Ice hadn't hindered his climb, it was like seeing a panther stalking about its territory. The coils of his muscles and the sheer speed was a feral beauty colleagues of in his profession would envy.

A muffled thud was only sign he had reached the frozen plains. He shifted the military duffle bag slung across his right shoulder. On the left was the sniper rifle he packed, "Today's the day."

It was the final day of Artemis and Orion's camping trip. While they camped amongst the icicle-lined trees, Andrei settled himself within the nearby mountains. Poised on a cliff overlooking the entire area, the man spied on his sons' mishaps and monitored their actions during. He felt fortunate that he didn't need to intervene though the assassin was concerned with the assault last night.

As he neared the campsite, Andrei didn't soften his footsteps. The tromp of his boots alerted Artemis, the only one awake, of his presence. On instinct, the teenager ducked behind the nearest obstacle available and unsheathed his knife. Andrei called, "Relax boy, I told you I'd be back around now."

"You said at the time we started, that was five. It's…" pale eyes glanced towards the waning sun, "…three."

"Ya wanna to leave or not?" his father asked. Artemis offered no reply as he cast a wary glance towards the unearthed area he and Orion set up their sleeping bags. Andrei's perceptive eyes didn't miss the look. The man walked over towards his other son, prodding his form with his boot. No response. Andrei plopped is his items in the sunlit ice. Disappointed with Orion's lack of seriousness towards his arrival, grabbed the sleeping as if picking up a box He tipped it like he would a trash can where his son would fall out. Yet when his kid crumpled to the ground there was no exclamation of surprise nor cursing. Only a snap of a frozen red flower that landed on Orion's stiff body.

The sight of the teenager scared Andrei. His eldest lie prone, splayed from the rude awakening. Orion was sickly pale, almost a icy blue skin tone matching the cold of the weather. Andrei kneeled and ran his hand over the boy's neck. No pulse. Orion was dead-frozen into an eternal slumber.

He grimaced as his vigils remained trained on the corpse. Without moving from his stiff position, Andrei ordered, "Artemis, I have a tracker in my bag. Go back to the truck."

Artemis said, "Bu-"

"Now," the tone forced any protests from the youth to die in his throat. Packing the last of what wasn't in his father's way, the ebony-haired boy began his march in the slush. Had Andrei turned, he might've seen the smirk on his son's face.

Artemis bid his father good night before trudging towards his room. The boy was nursed for hours for the hideous abrasions on his pasty skin and the injuries hidden beneath them. He was tired from recovering his lost blood and drinking all the soups shoved down his throat.

He entered the room both he and Orion shared. Well, it was belonged to him now. The young assassin's weight on the floor boards made an eerie creak. Artemis settled under the comforter, and managed to close his eyes.

"So, what's it like being an only child?"

The voice startled him. His eyes surveyed the door. It was closed and locked. Then he glanced at the window. It was also clamped shut. No one was present._ Just a hallucination_, Artemis decided, _still sick from the cold…_

"Hey, how's it feel? Since I only got to be one for only ten minutes before you were born," the statement caught Artemis's attention. He shot up and examined his room once more. Everything was the same except for the bed across from his own. It was occupied by a replica of the assassin. The figure continued, "Ten minutes before my _dear_, hateful, jealous, _back-stabbing, murdering _little brother came to be."

"You're not real. You're _dead._ You should be dead!" Artemis's panic rose with each sentence.

"Obviously, I'm not. But if you want me dead so badly," Orion gave a wolfish smile as he stood. He stepped slowly, but each step showed his cockiness. He stood before the window positioned between their beds. The moonlight outlined his form, "Then why don't you make sure I stay dead? Just stab me right through the heart."

Artemis's mind screamed Orion was dead. He recalled the scene with perfect clarity. His blade slid between the ribs and pierced right through his twin's heart. It was a point-blank kill. However, his eyes were seeing Orion standing there.

Talking to him.

Mocking him.

His emotions overwhelmed his senses, as the black-haired boy slipped his butterfly knife from underneath his mattress. Orion made no notion to grasp a weapon as his sibling charged. The easy smile he wore never faded as the knife slid into his abdomen. It fazed through his form, causing Artemis to slam against the window. The latch keeping the double windows locked, broke under his weight. Glass shattered as the windows smacked against the wooden roof.

A full moon shone as Artemis fell from the two story window. Standing in the window was his brother who spoke inaudible words. The boy read his lips:

_Maybe in another life_

Then all that was heard the cracking of bones as a red flower made of blood formed in the snow.

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricity~AllHailEccentricity~AllHailEccentricity~AllHailEccentricity~~~~~**_

_Artemis and Orion: The hell Kirei?_

_Orion: That is not what my character is like at all! Too much of a wimp to be me!_

_Artemis: Yes, ignore the fact she had me kill you._

_Orion: Still never put it past you, Arty. You have some…anger issues._

_Artemis: You're one to talk_

_Jazzlyn: Holy crap! They are gonna kill each other again!_

_Kirei: Hehehehe, that was so wrong to do, I know, but I had to. This was based on an actual chapter ideal I had. Except both are still living. Funny cause there's a perfectly logical reasoning for all the events with Arty and Oreo in that story._

_Breakdown: Orion worked later and thus harder than Artemis on their campsite and hunting. Because of his prolonged exposure to the cold, Orion caught hypothermia, thus why he was shivering and paling. Hypothermia also causes the brain to shut down or at least slow down. Thus Orion was relying on his instinct in place of his own brain since it was failing. _

_Artemis suffered the same syptoms. HOWEVER, he didn't manage to stop his own impulses before he actually killed his sibling. He hid the murder both out of shame and to avoid blame. That night he suffered a combination of the remaining effects of his receding hypothermia and survivors' guilt. It caused him to hallucinate and literally fall out the window._

_Artemis and Orion: God you're awful._

_Kirei: But I love you both!_


	28. Mission 22: An Unfortunate Turn

_Kirei: Oh…my…goodness. How long has it been since I've been here?_

_Johan: Oh I don't know Kirei…Only about SEVEN MONTHS!_

_Kirei: Meep! I'm sorry! I-I had family problems, then college problems, then friendship problems, then I started sports! After that I made to the big time of my sport and graduation shortly after. Then it's been parties and my brithday! So sue me for having a life!_

_Jazzlyn: Court date is Monday._

_Kirei: Bu-Never mind, I should've saw that coming. Well, readers I have nothing to say for this extended absence. Though I know for a fact a LOT of people are slowing their roll in producing chapters…some great stories have been stalled for forever! Like…I still don't know how Jesse's gonna deal with his homophobic family and his love for Judai or…Judai's a phantom thief and I still don't know if he's gonna betray Johan or not!_

_Johan and Jazzlyn: *blinks* Seriously?_

_Kirei: Yes! Oh but minna look on the bright side, I already know how all the individual arcs of the North Academia gang is gonna go. I've estimated that Miku's might be one of the longest because of…trials within it but I think the one with the most character growth or drama in it are Orion and Artemis's arcs (yes, they have their own arc)._

_Jazzlyn: Just get on with the chapter Kirei!  
_

_Kirei: But I don' wanna~! I hate writing fight scenes, they take too much time and too much research to do!_

_Johan: Woman, go to your room and start typing!_

_Kirei: You're so cruel! T_T_

_**Reviewers Response:**_

_Oak-chan:__ Yes, yes, Yoshiya has earned points for himself and he's not even a prominent character. Also yeah…I just got the idea and went with it. As for my marks…I got a C on it but to be fair, she wasn't a good creative writing teacher. She treated it like an English paper, not a creative piece._

_ChrisEmrys:__ It took me a moment to think of who you were but I guess the first name was a giveaway. And I'm sure ANY of the NA gang would like to help you slaughter the bastard. Kyahahaha! I'm just making Arty and Orion so scary to be around!_

_Mihile's Reflection Deneb:__ Yep, more obstacles ahead before we get to Jazz and I'm sure she will not be happy at how long it took._

_Shadow of Eckhart:__ I know…I've been a bad authoress for neglecting my other stories…_

_Luving Randomness:__ Yes, Kayla is one smart cookie underneath that shy exterior. And…Thank you! At least SOMEONE understood the reasoning for Chrysanthemum as a title. Me teacher was all like "Your title doesn't make sense or tie into the story". Pft, just cause I don't name it after something in the story doesn't make it irrelevant._

_Glacial Pieces:__ Well aren't you just the definition of cheery, Renella? But yeah…school's a killer!_

_**~~~~All Hail Eccentricity~~~~**_

**(?)**

"La'Rae…La'Rae…La'Rae darling, you have to get up," a soothing voice called to the girl. She stirred but didn't open her eyes. She muttered, "Five more minutes, dad."

"La'Rae!"

This time the Ra student awoke. Her yellow eyes stared at a mirror image of herself. She scrambled away from the doppelganger, "I can't believe it! I'm gonna die early!"

She referred to the legend that if you saw yourself, it meant you would die soon. It was all just superstition and make-believe but as she recently found…many of those things actually exist. She was going into the heart of such a thing! Apparently, the clone understood the implications as well as she stared for a moment before laughing. La'Rae at first was still wary that the doppelganger would dupe her. After a minute of laughter though, the girl puffed her cheeks in embarrassment, "It's not _that_ funny, you know."

"It is when you haven't had a bright day in ages," the copier responded as her giggles subsided, "Oh and I am not a doppelganger."

"Oh, that's a relief," the teenager sighed, but the next statement from her 'twin' shocked her, "I'm your mother."

"What?"

_**~~~~All Hail Eccentricity~~~~**_

**(Crystalline Cove)**

Lien awoke thinking she was outside the dorms. She thought it had to be. There wouldn't be so many stars glittering above her, even if they were hazy. A voice called from nearby, "Em gai…"

Em gai? How long as it been since that person called her that? Hearing that name made the girl shift from being on the roof of the Ra dorms to her home in Vietnam. That she lie against the top of a small mountain with its slopes appearing like ripples around her. She thought she was spending yet another humid summer night underneath the starry sky. Lien felt almost as if that person was beside her.

Her purple eyes focused, clearing the blurriness in her vision. Soon she could see the stars take a more physical shape. They were crystals of a light blue tint that glowed in the darkness. Glassy rock constructed the night sky she saw. It made it clear that she was still in the caverns. Still in North Academia. But she couldn't deny that she heard that person's voice.

"Em gai, please tell me you're up."

The girl sat up, her midnight blue locks falling around her face. She noticed there were weird inscriptions and lines crisscrossing about on the ground below her. Across from where she sat was a hooded figure sitting on a rock. The stranger sat cross-legged, almost meditatively.

Immediately on the defensive, her hand went for the hilt at her hip. Pulling out a metallic whip, she nearly lashed out when the figure bowled over, "W-Whoa! No need to pull out any weapon! Especially one that can be used…in other connotations."

CRACK!

The whip cracked, unleashing a blast of fire as it flew. Ducking the blow the person cried, "Hey, I didn't mean it! Honest! Just stop swinging that around, Lien!"

"Who are you and what gives you the right call me by that name?" she icily demanded.

"I'm the one that gave you the nickname," he responded, "You still are the younger one, ya know?"

Lien unleashed her whip again, "Liar. That person has been missing for two years now. And even if he's still alive, he wouldn't try to assault me or my friends."

"…" the hooded person seemed to just freeze before plopping onto the ground, as if all his strength left. It was silent for a moment, Lien glaring towards the person that dragged her under and burned her friend in the process. That in itself should've been enough for the girl to want to fight. Her train of thought was interrupted by laughter, "…That's right, that person wouldn't want to hurt anyone…he, no I still doesn't."

Lien thought this person was completely insane. It sounded like he could hold a whole conversation with himself. And though she knew to expect the unexpected with psychos like that, she couldn't see how to deal with them-other than beating them senseless of course. Finally the person's head raised as he quietly asked, "…What's it take to convince you…?"

"If you're really _that_ person," she folded her arms, "then you should know."

"But I can't," he responded, "We-I-will hurt you!"

A sound much like a scoff escaped Lien's mouth as she stood with her arms folded, defiant towards the statement. There was good reason that she blended in with her friends at North Academia. They all, in their own way, liked to fight. For the most part, they settled their confrontations head on and with a regret in their minds. It mirrored the type of person she was. And if this guy claimed to a person that knew her so intimately, then he should be aware of what to expect.

And this person seemed to realize this as well when he sighed, letting a heavy metallic ball fall from each sleeve. There was chsick sound that followed as she noticed chains attached to them. Looks like he's getting the idea.

_**~~~~All Hail Eccentricity~~~~**_

**(?)**

"That's impossible," La'Rae immediately denied the words she just heard. She paced back and forth, occasionally messing with her fiery hair. The doppelganger appeared to be patient, sitting with her hands folded as she watched La'Rae clench a fist, "My mother is dead-or may as well be."

The clone of her wondered, "Have I truly treated that badly, La'Rae?"

She could've easily been lying however but she could tell that this was not a joke. The simple question burst an invisible dam within the RA, "Me? Never. It's not like were home enough for me to really care. But that toll you put on papa was unforgivable. It looks like he went through hell every time I see him. All he ever does is work or worry about me. Just your absence…driven him-us-crazy."

Yellow eyes glared at eyes that showed pity. Like a parent watching their child throw a tantrum. La'Rae, upset, then questioned, "Did you even care…? That you left the two of us alone. Just disappear. Poof! Without warning," she turned away and huffed, "of course you didn't. Didn't even bat-"

"That's enough," her mother responded, "There is only one thing that should never be doubted and that is my love for my family. They are my life."

La'Rae demanded, "Then why?"

"My work," she answered, "since you've come down here with a kid like Johan, I'm sure you've seen this."

The carbon copy hold out her arm. Only her wrist was the same device the Andersen twins owned, a WATCH.

"There's no way…" La'Rae said, "You expect me to believe that you've always gone because of this…this supernatural crap?"

"It's the truth…though I understand your skepticism," the woman replied. The Ra appeared distressed at the turn of events. She ran her hand through her red locks-at some point almost pulling at them. It made sense. Johan and Jazzlyn had often missed school for missions and even then, Johan claimed they had a 'light' load compared to some others. It explained why she traveled a lot and how she knew so much about legends that she told La'Rae when she was a child. But, another question rose above the answers she found, "…but why not take me into it? Why hide it from me?"

"You're my life, La'Rae. You and Dario are my everything. Dragging you into it is not what I wanted for you," her mother said. La'Rae was in complete disbelief. She was unmoving from trying to process it all. Could it have been such a strange answer? Gingerly her mother reached out to embrace. La'Rae wasn't accepting nor denying it. She was looking down so she didn't' see the rows of razors reaching out towards her.

BLAK!

The double pulled back. From out of their line of sight came, "God, I've heard more convincing lines from a dying man."

_**~~~~All Hail Eccentricity~~~~**_

**(Crystalline Cove)**

CHICKCHICKCHICKCHICKCHICK!

CRACK!CRACK!

The meteor hammer (1) lashed out towards the midnight blue-haired girl. Lien swung right to left to deflect the chained weapons as she came in for closer range. As if retractable, the chains were drawn back into her opponent's hands. They launched out of his hands again as Lien advanced. She waved to the left of the first but came into the line of fire of the second. Thinking quickly, she slid underneath it. Her foot rammed into her enemy's abdomen He flew back, releasing the meteor hammer once more. They flew at the same time and close together. Using her whip, Lien wrapped its body around the chains and knocked them away.

Both of their weapons were tangled and thus useless. Realizing this, both combatants discarded their weapon. Switch into closed quarters fighting, they got into fighting stances reminiscent of those seen in kung fu movies. She swung her right fest only for it to be swatted away by the hooded guy's arm. His leg tried to kick Lien's face when she knocked it back with her right forearm. The fighters immediately launched a punch that was caught by the other. They dead locked as the grip on the opponent's hand clamped tighter.

This was how Lien preferred things. She wholeheartedly believed in the 'myth' that one could figure out more about a person by exchanging blows. She could feel it, this rhythm she had been set into. It was familiar-like the guy had studied her moves for a long time and vice versa. Nostalgia overwhelmed her senses as the purple-eyed girl continued on their stalemate. Summer days spent in the fields. Kicking with bare feet. And the eventual kick to the abdomen that would, without fail, end the squabble-and chalked another loss to her closest friend.

_Why could he get that he left himself open too many times,_ Lien thought as she saw that same move. The combatant tried to overwhelm her with his height and size. Lien used both her arms to push his out the way. Her foot went for a side kick that collided with the figure's diaphragm. With her boot to hold him, the Ra commented, "Some things never change…"

The hood fell off to show messy dark brown hair with a folded bandana across his head. Light brown spheres stared at her, "…Quan."

_**~~~~All Hail Eccentricity~~~~**_

**(?)**

It happened faster than La'Rae could comprehend. Everything was spinning She could hear inhuman screeching and deafening bangs almost next to her. Then she heard rocks shifting and then felt the ground. She was staring up but everything was still spinning. When the world reoriented itself, her yellow eyes were looking at stalagmites. From nearby she heard, "Allo? Still in there, La'Rae?"

It wasn't her mother's since the voice was male. As she lifted herself up, she noticed her clothes were disorganized-even her skirt was torn! Her presumed attack was looking over the rock taller than both of them. La'Rae flushed, "Orion! I knew you were some kinda pervert! I-"

His hand covered her mouth as he rubbed his temple with his gun precariously within his hold, "So loud…ugh…so this is the thanks I get for saving a woman? Forgive me for ever doubting you, Andrei. Ngh!"

After saying that he cringed, dropping his handgun. His hand grasped his right shoulder. The assassin leaned heavily against the rocks they were hiding behind. The red-haired girl peered at the wounded shoulder, "That assassin did all that?"

"Gas Chamber? No, this was the hickey that thing you were hugging decided to leave when it saved you," he responded. Confusion showed on her face, "What…?"

"That thing that claimed to be your mom. It tried to kill you," Orion stated bluntly, picking up his Baretta, "And I think it's still looking for you."

"Kill me? What'd I do?"

"What'd any of us do to be on a psycho's hit list?" the dark-haired teenager thought aloud, blowing his bang out of his eye, "Nothing is the answer had we simply stayed at North but we're down here looking for Andersen, someone that nut job, evidently, wants. From the moment we descended down here, he's been planning how to dispose of us. It just so happens he has more of an edge with you over others."

"H-Mph!" She began when Orion covered her mouth once again. Blue eyes peered down from their hiding place. Below was a monstrous and skeletal being. With teeth like a shark's, it appeared fearsome. La'Rae wondered, "You've got to stop doing that and what's that?"

"And just think, you were getting awfully close with it," the assassin quipped, seemingly in his normal humorous personality. La'Rae thought to punch him but examined the injury and changed her mind. They watched the thing swish further ahead. He exchanged the magazine in his Baretta for one in his pocket. He cursed in Romania as he locked it into place, "Dammit. Down to the last one."

"Thought you had another one of those."

"Also dropped while saving a woman," he retorted, unable to mask his annoyance at losing his weapon, "…do you still have a weapon?"

"Huh? Ah…" She felt for the extendable quarterstaff she owned. The girl pulled it from the holster inside her pants and showed it to her classmate, "Bine _(is good)_. Now this is important so don't lie. Will you be able to fight?"

La'Rae said, "I don't get the question."

"Even monsters can masquerade as saints," the assassin spoke, all his joking demeanor gone, "That thing could be your mother. It could be a demon or some other freak of nature that's made to look like her. I can't tell. But, it's been in contact with her enough to have you convinced and even if you do have mommy problems, I get the feeling that raising a hand against her is impossible for you. So what I'm asking is, will you be able to harm her if it comes down to it?"

_**~~~~All Hail Eccentricity~~~~**_

**(Crystalline Cove)**

The brunette, Quan, replied, "Never could beat you. Except when it came to being older, em gai."

He still insisted on calling her by the nickname her gave her. Em gai, which meant 'little sister' in Vietnamese, her native language. She released her foot to let him get up. The guy stood up, brushing himself off, "But it's weird. You came so far from home. Don't tell me it's because of m-oof!"

The rest of his words were pushed our of his throat as Lien's arms embraced him, "Idiot. I came here looking for you. After that letter that came home. Of you being gone….after uncle Hien told me, I didn't believe it. So I came…"

"You've been…looking for me…?" he echoed. It struck a spark that swelled until it warmed his entire being. He expected everyone to leave him for dead yet here she was. Yet, he knew, that was exactly what _that person_ wanted. It was why he did horrible things to him. The throbbing in his body made him aware of this. Quan tried to restrain it but emotion he was feeling fueled the beast he kept chained. This proximity to his em gai-his target-he could feel his descent into madness. There came the urge to splash red over her white skin and gouge those beautiful eyes.

"No!" he cried suddenly, pushing the girl from him. Heaving heavily, he appeared as if his strength had gone with that outburst. With a hand to the heart, he begged, "Em gai…please, kill me now."

"What?" Lien, already off-balance from him pushing here, asked, "What craziness are you saying?"

"I…I want to be seen as a friend, not a monster," he pleaded but Lien still wasn't understanding what was wrong with him, "Monster? Quan you're not making any sense. What's going on?"

"Gah!" the brunette hunched over as if he were kneed in the stomach. He started panting With a strained expression, he looked pathetically to Lien, "Please, Lien, end me now. The _last_ thing I want to do is to kill you. Now. Quickly."

Quan hung his head, leaving his neck exposed to her. The abrupt proclamation baffled the fighter even more, "H-How can you ask that? I can't do that, idiot. I can't…"

Suddenly, her breathing was cut off as Quan's hand squeezed her neck. Her hands instinctively pried at the iron-gripped fingers. Mangled noises was she could manage for breathing. She froze when she saw the glowing orange irises that glared at her. IN her mind, Lien thought, _Quan, what have they done to you…?_

The penetrating eyes…those cold, demonic eyes scared her. Lien, as a fighter and apart of her circle of friends, normally couldn't be easily rattled-hell, even combating the freak shows down here hadn't fazed her. Yet, that look pierced with Ra with genuine terror, _He could kill me. He __will__ kill me…._

Reacting on her fight or flight instinct, Lien wildly kicker. She hit hard in his knee. It made him flinch but not let go. A talon entered her visuals. It was between his face and hers. It only made her want to flee more. With Quan's hold she couldn't turn her head so she worried when it left her line of sight.

A tickle went up and down her calf. At first she thought it was a bug but then it persisted. It then went from a tickle to a prickle. A prickle to a scraping. Scraping to stabbing. Stabbing to searing. Silent scream was Lien could do about the pain. She couldn't even kick against the agony, as something was holding her legs back. This fluttering sensation, the adrenaline pumping, and her heart racing was all apart of this reflex that came along with fear: panic. What could she do? She was on her own. He'd successfully cut her off from them and screaming was impossible. All she could do was hope that a miracle would happen but she had already felt ready to accept reality.

FWHIP!

Suddenly the purple-eyed girl heard something cutting through the air then a howl of pain. Oxygen rushed to her lungs as she to the ground, coughing. Before her was her friend tugging at a weapon lodged through his leg. But, examining it…Lien realized that she recognized who it belonged to.

"Sakura…?"

_**~~~~All Hail Eccentricity~~~~**_

_Ba da da da! How y'all like that? How's that for a come back chapter? _

_Johan: Excuse her, she's a bit nuts in the head right now._

_I am not!_

_**Authoress's Notes:**_

1) Meteor hammer is like a chain with a metallic ball on each end

_Please review! It makes me want to update._


	29. Mission 23: Stand and Deliver

_Hmm…I can't believe I finally felt like writing for once. You know how increasingly rare this is becoming? My god, I can't believe how much college demands…_

_**Readers Response:**_

_Miss McGee:__ Ah, I see but thanks._

_Oak-chan:__ I guess he would be useless without his primary weapon._

_Luving Randomness:__ No, no according to my teacher (though she didn't explicitly say it), I must be one of the crazies. And yes, Lien is up….what did they do? What did they do? Saa…?_

_AllyCat:__ Thank you very much for your reviews!_

_**~~~AllHailEccentricity~~~**_

Lien stared in disbelief at the female before her. Her friend was there. Last she checked, Sakura had been barred to the other side of a rock. Before the dark blue-haired girl could ask, Sakura wondered, "Lien, are you alright?"

A shriek drowned whatever words Lien intended to say. Quan recovered from Sakura's assault. He tried to strike at the intruder when…

BANG-SHA!

A hole in the ground appeared between the girls and the demon. It halted the brunette for a moment however that was all it was-a moment. Feral canines glared at the two as he crouched to strike again.

BANG-SHA!

The noise resounded once more followed by a howl of pain as a fistful of talons fell on the floor. Lien watched blood drain from not only Sakura's spear but also a blow that went cleanly through Quan's other leg. But where had the wound come from? The sound of the air being cut whistled in Lien's ears before a spray of red showered her childhood friend's torso.

The sight. His pitiful appearance struck notes with Lien. He was her…her…sparring partner, her dueling mentor, and her first companion. To watch him get defeated like this was too shameful for the fighter, "Sakura. Tell whoever's shooting…" she paused for a moment before she collected herself, "tell them to stop."

"What?"

"I know him," Lien told her quietly. In that instant, any protest Sakura prepared to counter with died in her throat. She sighed as she took up her weapon and called, "Artemis! Please stop."

She cried to the air, looking in no particular direction, so not to give away the sniper's position. Silence answered however the shooting ceased. Lien wobbled and had to lean on Sakura for support as she attempted to regain her balance, "Let me deal with him."

"But you're injured," Sakura said. The Ra stabilized herself, "Then…that makes us even."

_**~~~AllHailEccentricity~~~**_

"That has got to be the strangest question I've heard from you yet, Orion," La'Rae responded.

Orion, either too preoccupied with the next course of action or still annoyed about the loss of his weapons, curtly told her, "I have a closing window, La'Rae. I have no time to waste on bullshit. So, I need to know now if you can shoot her."

The red-haired girl, in an attempt to get back at the assassin's tone, shot off her mouth and said 'Of course' but then she bit back the thought. Her hands curled into fists as she thought about the person she called her mother.

"_You're a very beautiful person, La'Rae."_

"_Of course I am, mama. I have to be to have your name."_

He took the hesitation as her answer, "Continue down the path to the right. There should be arrows or some symbols etched along the walls or something."

"What are you planning?"

Orion cocked his gun back as he held it near his temple, "I'm gonna do my job, what else?"

"So you're planning to kill her?" La'Rae demanded. The mercenary responded, "If it comes down to it, yes."

The girl cried, "You can't!"

"What the hell is your deal? You were just screaming at it a few minutes ago how it's better off dead," the assassin demanded. La'Rae flared a red tone from anger. She exclaimed in a frustrated tone, "That's my mom! If I asked you to kill your mom-"

"That's a bad example," Orion pointed out as he peeked back over their hiding spot, "I don't have that shining idea of a mother that you probably delude yourself with. Unlike most of you all, I'm not fond of my parents and if it weren't apparent to you, I was taught to kill _anyone_ regardless of my affiliation with them."

As he heard the sound of the beast, he mentally prepared himself. Though she couldn't yell, La'Rae spat in a dangerous and angry voice, "You're horrible."

Because the dark-haired boy wasn't facing her, La'Rae could not see the smirk on his face. As if he heard an amusing joke, Orion replied, "Tell me something new."

With that he vaulted over the rock face the two were hidden behind. La'Rae though he was legitimately insane. She wondered how he intended to be stealthy with such a rash move. Seeing him essentially jump down a high height, the girl still had doubts how he normally made it as an assassin. Orion didn't seem the type for it…he was simply too loud…and just didn't fit the bill. Artemis seemed more believable for that persona. His brother? Not a chance.

Though no words were spoken, it seemed almost as if Orion was setting out to prove the red head wrong. His frame remained in the shadows, with only his spectator from above able to see him. She watched as the assassin land however no sound followed his descent. As if he floated like a feather. No footfalls were heard as he moved.

_What…? Where'd this skill come from?_ With a stunned silence, she watched Orion fluidly and soundlessly reach towards his boot. He didn't slow his stride as he pulled out a knife from its depths. The distance closed between the two…he would be able to slit its throat before it even knew it was attacked.

_That thing could be your mother. It could be a demon or some other freak of nature that's made to look like her,_ the words of her friend echoed in her head. He said he couldn't tell, neither could she. She didn't know which it would be…but would she risk that? Even if La'Rae didn't think of her mother in the warmest regards, she was still the woman La'Rae admired. On impulse she called, "Don't kill her!"

The exclamation caught the creature's attention. It whipped around and kicked its assailant back. For once La'Rae was grateful she _couldn't_ understand Orion's words as they were more than likely curses directed towards her. The girl slid down the rocky structure they were hiding. Now that she thought about it, how'd a guy climb with her in tow all the way up here? The thought was gone as fast as it surfaced as she drew her weapon from inside her clothes. Her grip tightened and the stick extended into a metallic staff. Her frame stood between her friend and their assailant. She quivered as she said, "Hey mom! Wanna kill me?"

A screech answered her. The girl took a breath before she replied, "You gotta catch me first."

With that, La'Rae darted from the room with her 'mother', hopefully, following suit. As she exited, the beast gave chase. Orion tried to stop the creature but pain held him back. His hand rest on his abdomen where he was stabbed. Though patching itself up, it was still prone to reopening and hurting, "Dammit…La'Rae, what hell are you planning?"

_**~~~AllHailEccentricity~~~**_

"Lien, there's no way you can stand against him!" Sakura called in concern. Violet eyes turned to the girl, "Sakura, you're a friend to me but shut up. This is my fight. You or Artemis stops me, I'll kick your asses in Quan's place."

"Who?"

The question was ignored as Lien picked up a broken talon into her grip. Left with little option, Sakura stepped back, leaving the entire cavern open to the match coming. Both combatants faced each other, their eyes sizing their opponent up. They walked in a loop across from their enemy, neither lunging just yet. Lien managed to stare into those orange pupils without freezing, but she could feel her body. She was quivering. She was scared.

How long had it been the girl actually was anxious about a fight? It must've been too long as the sensation felt foreign. Her heart thudded louder than her thoughts. Sweat seeped into her grip. A steady yet fast repetition of rising and falling was her breath. Suddenly, Lien laughed. Everyone observing her became confused, "I'm…scared. L-Look at me, so scared I'm shaking like a baby. Stay back!"

The last comment was directed towards her friend that tried to approach, "Don't look down on me. I may be scared but doesn't mean I won't fight. Actually…it'll mean I'll fight even harder. Oi, c'mon, let's go!"

With speed thought to be lost with her injury, Lien dashed forward. She decided to shock him by taking offensive first. Her lunge came with ferocity that matched Quan's bestial appearance. He ducked the attack and grabbed her from midair before trying to throw her. Before she could be tossed, her boots latched onto his neck. As her momentum pulled her forward, Quan was taken with her. They did a 360 with Lien landing on her feet while the wolf-like being landed on his back.

Reacting quickly he slashed at her legs, successfully scarring her. Lien stumbled back, hissing at the blow as he rolled back onto his feet. Using his longer limbs to his advantage, he alternated from left to right with kicks. Each kick Lien blocked, wincing as the nails of his feet-or were they paws-scratched at her skin. With one kick, she held his limb and aimed her foot at his chest. The hybrid tumbled forward like a domino. Woozily he tried to stand, only for an axe kick to land on his head. He toppled once more onto the floor and pulled the girl's leg from under her. Her head smacked with a graceless thud before her body was lifted and thrown across the room.

Lien rocked her head back and forth to try and shake the dizziness she felt. Just as quickly as the fight was initiated, Lien was put on the defensive as her assailant surged towards her. Her reaction time bought her arms up to guard. However, she left her stomach open and immediately regretted it as Quan's elbow drove into it. She coughed, her breath gone and dropping her meager guard. This earned her a punch to the head. The force made her fly a small distance from her attacker, disorienting her the entire time.

Pushing her body into a half sitting position, Lien breath labored gasps. A blue-purple color started to form on her cheek. She looked up in time to see a punch heading towards her. Rolling back, the punch hit the stone ground, and using Quan's arm as a 'bridge', Lien rolled over his back. She landed upright beside him. In retaliation for her wounds, Lien rammed her knee into his stomach before socking him right in his eye. A strong uppercut followed, knocking Quan back.

Because of her smaller frame, her punch didn't hit him far. In a few seconds he went for another punch. This time, the blue-haired girl grabbed his arm, twisted it as she ducked behind him, and kicked the back of his knee. His head was around her collarbone. He used his position to his advantage as Quan slammed his head back. Surprised from the loss of air and unexpected head butt, Lien harshly hit the floor. Her vision doubled and shook as she tried to regain her senses. Besides her she noticed one of the broken nails Artemis's bullets broke off. Reaching for the weapon, Lien nearly made it when a forced clamped down on her wrist. Quan's paw pressed onto her wrist, nearly making her scream in agony. Biting down the pain, she used her free hand to rain blows on his deformed face until he backed off.

He moved back slightly to catch her fist. When he did, the brute pulled her over his head. Thrown up and unable to redirect herself, Lien was at the mercy of his attack. The wolf child clutched her fist while the other went for her foot. As she came down, her back was stretched as it collided with his upper back and shoulder blades. A cry escaped her lips as she dropped. She gaped for air as her assailant stood over her. Fangs shone under the crystalline lighting. The fear flooded back full force. She thought she would die again. Her eyes searched wildly to find her boon in her sights. The talon was right behind Quan. Desperately she dove under his legs to grab it. He held onto her feet and dragged her back. Hanging up side down and flailing, Lien could only see the menacing orange gleam before her.

Swinging back and forth in his grasp, Lien refused to keep still. One to keep him from assaulting as he pleased and two so she didn't have to see her friend look like…like a monster. And it felt like he had already lost himself. Even in their fights, he wouldn't hurt her like this. He had to be gone. The thought stung hard in her heart. Beads formed in the corner of her eyes. She had to correct this. This was in mind amongst her panic as she defended herself from the lawful of nails vying for her flesh. All she had was the talon in her hands which worked much like a knife. It sounded like one as well with terrible scratching sound every time the nails met. He knocked her only weapon from her hands, _No!_

She strained to grab it from the air. Barely, the girl's fingers wrapped around it and holding it in a reverse position, Lien slashed through the air. Quan released her as she nearly ripped through his neck. Forcing herself to land and regain footing swiftly, Lien appeared clumsy. She looked like she tripped with her 'knife' first. It went past his fur and lodged into the boy's body. Blood seeped from the wound. Quan coughed blood as he quipped, "Looks like you still win…em gai…"

"Stop saying idiotic things, you'll just bleed faster. I just got you back to your senses. Just hold on and I'm sure Sakura could help me patch you up an-" Rumbling from above interrupted Lien's train of thought, "What was that…?"

Looking up she could see worms with what appeared to be…drills? The ceiling shook once more as the creatures sunk back into the holes they came from. What did they just…? Violently the roof of the cavern began to rattle. Rock started to crumble and plummet to the ground. Quan coughed, "They're trying..to collapse the cave…"

"What?! Artemis! Sakura!"

"Already ahead of you," Sakura cried as she rushed over to them. Both girls pulled one of the wolf child's limbs over their shoulders. They ended up dragging him as they started making their way out. Debris continued to rain from the ceiling. Large fragments were shot down before they could hit the struggle trio. Quan's breath became heavier, which prompted Lien to say, "Don't you dare give out on me."

For a moment he looked at her for a moment it was orange, his nails dug into her skin. She winced for a moment, shocking the boy back to normal. Then it was back to his normal dark-colored eyes. And it was there she noticed his truly pathetic expression. What had they done to make a wimp like him act like such an animal? Seeing her friend in such a sorry state made her heart feel heavy and brought determination to find the true monster that did this. That way, she could ask the bastard while she had him begging for mercy. As they reached the exit, Lien could see the boulders falling like rain over their 'ring'. Sakura unhooked herself from Quan as she tried to catch her breath and quietly muttered something to Artemis as he put away his sniper rifle. Meanwhile, Lien leaned Quan against the wall. She stretched with her back turned from him, "At least we're safe…"

"Yeah…" the wolf-hybrid said, "Hey, em gai?"

"Hm-mph!"

Lien whipped around and was caught unguarded. She didn't comprehend what was happening. There was something blocking her breath. Warmth was on her lips and tickling her face. Stunned from the 'assault', Lien merely stood there as the warmth then tickled her ear as she heard, "Now with this, you'll be safe." Finally she say those dark eyes that were so familiar from years ago. They stared at her, looking through her with an expression that mirrored sorrow. Why were they do sad? The thought flashed in her mind before the eyes were gone. Violet eyes blinked. Quan was gone as her eyes looked to the falling rocks. In that instant it clicked. In that instant she tried to run after him only to be restrained. She screamed profanities at her restrictors as her eyes looked on in horror. Each rock falling beat down her Lien's heart. Each rock caused a tear to shed. Soon her profanities became a name she repeated over and over again while the cavern became a torrent of rubble.

A silence descended when the cave in was done. Dust filled the chamber they escaped into but still nothing was heard. Not even a cough. Awed eyes gazed where the exit closed. A sniff came through the air as the sound of sobbing filled the air. It sounded much like the yips of wolf that lost a pack member. And like a wolf, Lien bayed her loss to the heavens. Though, it seemed, there was no 'heavens' deep below the mountains.

_**~~~AllHailEccentricity~~~**_

"What the hell was I thinking?" La'Rae breathed as she dashed further into the depths of the caves. Her decision undeniably was impromptu. It was a moment of courage and also stupidity since she couldn't think of a single course of action. Improvisation was never the red head's forte and pressure made her shut down. So all of a sudden challenging your possibly mother to get you was not the brightest of plans. Internally, the girl wished she just allowed her friend to do it his way.

Though it was a passing thought, La'Rae still felt guilty for thinking it. What if this really was the woman she had been raised by when she was a child? Her eyes glanced back to see the…thing on her heels. A nagging doubt kept emerging. What if it wasn't? What if it really was some abomination that took the sore patch from her life? She'd be showing mercy to it with it showing no remorse for…whatever it planned! These two sides gnawed at her from within and only grew more cumbersome as her sprint continued.

She really only was making a circuit, running between four differing rooms with her pursuer mindless following. La'Rae knew she couldn't just continue to dash aimlessly…but what could she do? Again, the yellow-eyed girl cursed her brain. Something…something to deal with the creature chasing her. Repeating the phrase in her head, La'Rae hoped to come up with a course of action. Suddenly she recalled something:

"_Thought you had another one of those."_

"_Also dropped saving a woman."_

_Oh right_, she remembered how Orion commented losing one of his guns. Maybe she could find it. Of course being a civilian, La'Rae possessed no knowledge on how to fire one. She hoped she wouldn't have to use it at all, that the presence of a firearm would get the skeletal shark to back off. First, however, was finding it somewhere where he'd save her. She already passed the room three times and upon a quick inspection, the gun wasn't there. La'Rae would have to search deeper into the area. Taking a breath to both recover from her running and to prepare for the 'jump', the girl then entered the room.

Like nearly all the places in the lair, it was created to look like a cavern (this was carved on the inside of mountain after all). The only real difference they possessed were the type of lighting and the natural features contained within them. La'Rae recalled the one she was in was lit with artificial lights. Ones that would probably used if there were an excavation of the mountains. There were also an abnormal amount of jutting rocks. They appeared strange in form to be considered 'natural' and probably the result of the man in charge of this chaos.

Bobbing and weaving around the spikes, she searched for the handgun. It couldn't be much variance between ones seen in the movies, right? A sound that resembled a gurgling screech rang from behind her. Daring to glance backwards, she could see her chaser was on her tail. However, La'Rae noticed the beast doing something different than before. It seemed to guzzle in air, expanding its chest like a balloon. Before she could mentally question its action, it expelled fire from its mouth. Instinct kicked in and La'Rae dove to the ground. Intense heat swelled above her, making the hairs on her back stand up.

Keeping low to the ground, she crawled to continue her search without the chance of incineration. The move actually seemed to work out in her favor since being closer to the floor would help her find the-

"Ow…" she muttered lowly as her hand smacked into something solid. Squinting, La'Rae noticed it was, "the gun…!"

She took it into her hands. It was heavier than she expected. The red head examined the only line of defense she held. She didn't notice as a barbed tail swiped at the torched stalagmites. Rock fragments exploded everywhere. A chunk rammed into La'Rae's back, sending her reeling across the ground. She rolled across soot and dirt before hitting a jagged stump.

Her attacker stood above her, its jaws bared towards her. To hold the line of teeth from biting her, La'Rae aimed the barrel towards the abomination. She believed she was set in her resolve. Even if it was her mother, La'Rae couldn't allow her to remain like this. Maybe because it was because it was her mother she was doing this. Death was better than living as testament to a man's insanity. Still, her body trembled, her only weapon remained pointing but she did not fire.

Molten yellow stared towards her. Eyes so much like her own. In a sweet tone, _her tone_, it said, "_Mi princesa…_"

The title stung her heart. Her breath hitched. Tears started to water her eyes before spilling on her soot-grimed face. Her head and heart warred. Parent or monster. To shoot or not to shoot. La'Rae quivered pathetically as she shut her eyes, unwilling to witness her own deeds.

As her index finder traced the trigger, La'Rae felt something grab her wrist and pull her upwards. The full view of her target became visible. She heard, "So, you are willing to pull the trigger."

Someone supported her as she suddenly felt her strength sapped from her. The gun was taken from her hands and La'Rae found herself unable to resist. She felt drained as her pounding head leaned against warmth. Noise entered muffled to her ears. She nearly opened her eyes but found something covering her yellow irises, ""

There was a bang and then her eyes rang. La'Rae felt senseless with the deafness and lack of sight. As if sensing her emotion, the hand over her eyes was removed. She met the eyes of her classmate and immediately hit him, "Bastardo! What do you think you were doing? I could've-"

"Could've," Orion repeated, "But would you really wanted to have killed your mother?"

"How do you know it was real? You said so yourself."

"I don't but that thought still weighed in _your_ head, didn't it?" the assassin responded as he got up and started walking towards the dying being. He gestured for La'Rae to stay put while he crouched besides the prone form. The two exchanged low mutterings for a minute before Orion looked up. He motioned his hand for the girl to come. La'Rae hesitantly drew closer to the boy and…her mother…?

Was it safe to say that? The mutant form La'Rae witnessed receded with the exception of the poorly concealed left half of the woman lying in front of them. She slowly settled onto her knees. A gentle, half-whispering voice said, "Oh…look at you, beautiful as I thought…"

Her scaly hand pathetically tried to grasp her daughter's hand. Sparing her the effort, the girl placed her hands into rough palms. It really didn't feel like how she remembered her mother's fingers. They were dry, breaking, _inhuman_ as opposed to the delicate, cushy hands of a pianist. A half-smile formed on the human side of her mother's face, "I'm sorry that I have made you hate me…"

"I don't hate you, I just want to back. Back with dad. Back with me," La'Rae responded softly. The expression her mother gave was unreadable. Her eyes glanced over to Orion, as if telling him a message. He gave a slow nod as he leaned against a stalagmite while the woman turned back to her child, "I…I wish I could."

"You wish? You will! We came down here to save Jazz and we can definitely save you too!" La'Rae said, disbelieving what was being implied, "I've only just found you. You can't just walk in, give more questions, and leave again! You-"

"I'm sorry. I lo-" there was a sharp breath before silence. Droplets that welled in her eyes fell unrestrained as La'Rae lie against her mother's still chest, sobbing. After a minute, a muttering came from her mouth, causing Orion to ask, "…What…?"

"Why didn't you just let me kill her?" La'Rae demanded, her voice more hurt than angry. . At least if she had her way, she wouldn't have had to have seen her mother look at her so meekly. At least she wouldn't have felt the weight of the loss so heavily on her heart. She wouldn't feel this sad.

The assassin moved from his spot as he came to her eye level. Blue spheres seemed to reflect serenity and sorrow at the same time, "Because the pain…that tightness and emptiness you feel in your chest right now? It would've been a thousand times worse if you saw the look of hurt on her face when you shot her. And that guilt would've gnawed at you for life."

La'Rae looked helpless as she stared at the corpse besides them. She felt a hand over hers, guiding towards her mother's serene face. Her fingers slowly, almost caressing, slid the unseeing yellow eyes shut. La'Rae turned away, her tears falling and strength gone. Her face buried into her friend's chest, who neither pushed her away nor asked her to stop.

Only monsters could kill monsters….so did that mean the assassin could kill the madman behind all this? Because any beast so brazen enough tear at bond between a parent and their child. To make them witness such a humiliating death. Bring them close to an irremovable taint…It was only the work of monsters. Monsters that needed to be put down.

_**~~~AllHailEccentricity~~~**_

_OH my fucking god! I'm done! I'm done with this chapter! You have no idea how painful it was to write this chapter! This bugger just went like, 'oh, I quit' and when I tried to drag it back, we got into a fistfight. This chapter scratched, bit, kicked, and screamed again. I have been warring with this forsaken bugger for months! Grr to you too, pal! GRRR!_

_I'm done with this chapter! Done! Oh so done! I'm sorry for the wait but now it's done!_

…_Anyway think I'm done with my rant. Til next time, lovelies._


	30. Authoress's Note

To my readers,

First and foremost, I'm sorry this isn't the update you might've been waiting for. I hate that feeling as well and hate that I'm doing this to my loyal readers. I'm sorry for the extended absence and the extremely hiatus I've put all my works onto. Apparently, college is more time consuming than high school in some aspects. Others, not so much. I won't blame my school work nor work for this break since there have been many times I've been able to write but can't find the motivation to write. That and I'm also on a RP site that I've been working on my characters there.

…I'm rambling so I'll get to why I have this note: Did I lose all my readers? I'd just like to gauge where I am with some so I can prioritize for the summer. Also, I need help with the writer's block. Um…any ideas? And…any ways to refresh the fandom in my head without having to rewatch the whole series (sorry, that's way too many episodes to rewatch when I'm trying to expand on my listing)?

Yeah, other than that…I don't think I have much. Um…how are you all? Hopefully good, ne? Uh…certain fandoms you're in that you'd like me to write for/get in? Also a thanks for the PMs in my inbox, I'm not dead I assure you. By the way, I don't bite so don't be afraid to shoot me a PM or find me on any other site I'm on (I'm Kirei Ryuusei on every place I join). I don't know, just feels cool when you can talk to your readers and such.

Again, rambling.

'Til Next Time,

Kirei Ryuusei


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